Genre:
Epic
Release Date: 02/12/2008
SubTitles: English
Dubbed: English
Sound: DD2
Run Time: 171 min
Flags: Questionable for Children
Distributor/Studio: Castaway NW [VCP]
Originally advertised as "Colossal Quo Vadis," this opulent
MGM production is far and away the most elaborate of the many versions of
Henryk Sienkiewicz' novel. The plot, as always, concerns the romance between a beautiful early Christian woman (
Deborah Kerr) and the initially agnostic Roman soldier
Marcus Vinicius (
Robert Taylor). This love story is laid against the larger intrigues of the debauched emperor
Nero (
Peter Ustinov), who hopes to gain immortality by destroying Rome with a fire and remaking it in his own image. Part of
Nero's master plan is the elimination of the Christian "threat," leading to the climactic lion picnics in the arena. In spite of the many more celebrated highlights (the burning of Rome, the rescue of
Lygia [
Deborah Kerr] from a rampaging bear, the upside-down crucifixion of
Simon Peter), the scene that remains most vivid in the memory is the posthumous "final insult" delivered to
Nero by his contemptuous former aide
Petronius (
Leo Genn).
Sophia Loren can be briefly spotted as an extra during one of the crowd scenes.
~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
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