Quo Vadis (1951)

Directed by: Mervyn LeRoy | 174 minutes | drama, adventure, history | Actors: Robert Taylor, Deborah Kerr, Leo Genn, Peter Ustinov, Patricia Laffan, Finlay Currie, Abraham Sofaer, Marina Berti, Buddy Baer, ​​Felix Aylmer, Nora Swinburne, Ralph Truman, Norman Wooland, Peter Miles, Geoffrey Dunn

The strongly religiously oriented ‘Ben-Hur’, from 1959, became famous for the spectacular race with the horse-drawn carriages at the end of the film, but it was not the first film of this genre to portray wild chases with these means of transport. ‘Quo Vadis’, now in a beautifully restored version on DVD and Blu-ray, already did this eight years earlier on a smaller scale with Robert Taylor as the great hero instead of Charlton Heston. His character starts off less righteously than Heston’s, but the final destination is equally enlightened. The story of the rise of Christianity in Rome, and the threat it poses to Emperor Nero, is in principle an interesting story, as is the conversion of iron-eater Marcus Vinicius to Christianity because of his love for the Christian girl Lygia (Deborah Kerr). , but it is mainly Peter Ustinov who, as megalomaniac emperor Nero, knows how to keep his eyes on himself.

The film starts with a somewhat pompous, overly explicit voice-over that already shows the tenor and subtlety of the film. “The eagle of Rome will soon be replaced by the cross and Emperor Nero is the antichrist,” the viewer is told bluntly. So it’s no surprise who or what power will eventually conquer or that the incredulous, sexist General Marcus Vinicius will make a 180-degree turn and become an enlightened spirit as well as a lover in love. This is unfortunate, as dramatic tension is now largely absent in the film’s first two hours. However, there is humor in the condescending remarks of Marcus Vinicius and the other Roman rulers towards women, slaves, Christians, or simply the entire population of Rome. The viewer is presented with gems such as “Beautiful women shouldn’t have the time to think deeply”, “Tears have only one function: as a prelude to pleasure.”, and “Who asked them to survive?” the emperor is when the populace runs out of burnt quarters toward the palace, and Nero’s assistant states that the mob wants to survive.

Very little happens in the first two hours, and it’s the sometimes funny dialogue that keeps the film interesting. At the same time, this makes the film a bit chatty and sometimes too explanatory. The viewer hardly gets the opportunity to judge or analyze the characters themselves, since the characters often already do this themselves. Thus Petronius says of himself that he is but a selfish cynic who does not have the courage to act. This is a bit too theatrical. It would have been better to leave this analysis to the viewer. Fortunately, the portrayal of Peter Ustinov as Emperor Nero offers much solace. His slightly twisted Nero, who has a tendency to regularly recite a terrible song or poem – and is only surrounded by yes-men who go through the dust and praise everything the man does – is very entertaining to behold. She is a true drama queen, even having a “teaser vase” to catch and cherish important tears. He often behaves like a small child, which for such a powerful man is of course very bizarre, dangerous, and, if you take this realistically, a chilling thought.

The last act of ‘Quo Vadis’ makes up for a lot in terms of dynamics and spectacle. Rome is burning, there is high drama when Christians are blamed and sacrificed, and fights with lions and bulls in the arena create some tension. The film, of course, remains one big commercial for Christianity and the linking of faith to the state, which is the hopeful thought at the end of the film, is of course not by definition an improvement as history has shown, but ‘Quo Vadis’ is indeed an entertaining and outwardly impressive epic.