Quo Vadis (1951)

Director:

Mervyn LeRoy

Writers:

S.N. Behrman (screenplay)
Sonya Levien (screenplay)

Release Date:

8 November 1951 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | History | Romance

Tagline:

Three Years in the Making! Thousands in the Cast! Filmed in Rome!

Plot:

Returning to Rome after 3 years in the field, General Marcus Vinicius meets Lygia and falls in love with her...

Plot Keywords:

Christian | Nero | General | Lion | Emperor

Awards:

Nominated for 8 Oscars. Another 2 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Robert Taylor	...	Marcus Vinicius
Deborah Kerr	...	Lygia
Leo Genn	...	Petronius
Peter Ustinov	...	Nero
Patricia Laffan	...	Poppaea
Finlay Currie	...	Peter
Abraham Sofaer	...	Paul
Marina Berti	...	Eunice
Buddy Baer	...	Ursus
Felix Aylmer	...	Plautius
Nora Swinburne	...	Pomponia
Ralph Truman	...	Tigellinus
Norman Wooland	...	Nerva
Peter Miles	...	Nazarius
Geoffrey Dunn	...	Terpnos

Also Known As:

Qvo Vadis (USA) (alternative spelling)

Runtime:

171 min | UK:166 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

UK:PG (video rating) (1986) | USA:Approved (PCA #15165) | UK:PG (tv rating) | West Germany:12 (f) | Brazil:12 | South Korea:12 | Ireland:PG | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Finland:K-12 | Sweden:15 | UK:A (original rating)

Filming Locations:

Cinecittà Studios, Cinecittà, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

One immediate problem they encountered with the lions was that when they were released from their cages, they found the arena so hot, they'd immediately retreat back into their cages. Director Mervyn LeRoy overcame this problem by having several costumes filled with meat.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Nero in fact died four years later in history than shown in the film. However, the events surrounding his death (citizens revolting, committing suicide with some outside help) are true to fact.

Quotes:

[Nero is exasperated with the mobs]
Emperor Nero: Do I live for the people or do the people live for me?
Petronius: You are the sun in their sky! Does the sun have privacy?
Emperor Nero: The sun has the night! These people expect me to shine both day and night!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Strength and Honor: Creating the World of 'Gladiator' (2005) (V)

The original novel and this cinema version of it are two very different kettles of fish!

A fellow IMDb-er from Poland, defending Henryk Sienkiewicz's monumental, Nobel Prize-winning novel (which I HAVE read, by the way) calls this M-G-M Technicolor spectacle "CRAP"!

Please! The novel is incredibly dense and detailed; possibly a lot truer to what was known in the early part of the twentieth century of the actual events of the time of its plot; with lots of references to the cruelty and luxury of Nero's Rome; frequent mentions of the pervasive nudity under all kinds of circumstances among the Romans of the time; and, given its length, a perhaps more respectful view of the emergence of Christianity at a time when its converts risked their very lives to admit their beliefs. There is no way that even a multi-part TV mini-(I mean, maxi-)series could come close to approximating the novel's overwhelming complexity.

But, as a piece of filmed entertainment, this cinema extravaganza is not at all worthy of being consigned to the proverbial garbage heap. The cast, yes, including Robert Taylor and Deborah Kerr, but, especially the supporting actors (Peter Ustinov, of course; plus Leo Genn, in particular, as well as Patricia Laffan, Marina Berti, Finlay Currie, Felix Aylmer, Rosalie Crutchley, et al.) all take full advantage of a script that had many witty as well as dramatic moments and, for its day, a fairly reverent (though not historically accurate) rendering of Christianity's emergence in a hostile Roman world.

In addition its production values have never been surpassed; in fact, they've never been equalled. One understands how beleaguered those of Polish descent often must feel (I, for one, have never been a fan of so-called "Polish jokes."), but let's not set impossible standards for a translation of one of Poland's most memorable literary achievements! This production is an example of Hollywood marshalling some impressive resources, while avoiding more than a modicum of the cliches that can sabotage such a project. It may not honor its source as some might wish, but it's still a quite grand and opulently eye-filling way to enjoy close to three hours.