Quo Vadis (1951)

Editor's Note MGM turned Henry Sinkiewicz's Nobel Prize-winning novel into one of the most extravagant production in film history. The epic tale is set in the decadence and decay of Nero's Rome, where Christianity is just beginning to foment. Robert Taylor (BILLY THE KID, JOHNNY EAGER) stars as Marcus Vinicius, a Roman military commander who falls in love with Lygia, played by Deborah Kerr (KING SOLOMON'S MINES, THE KING AND I). Lygia has recently converted to Christianity, and Marcus follows suit. The conversion establishes a rift between Marcus and the emperor Nero (Sir Peter Ustinov), who blames the growing religion for the turmoil within his empire, going so far as to throw Christian converts to the lions. But the real appeal of QUO VADIS is the grand Technicolor spectacle of ancient Rome burning, of pagan orgies, of marching armies, and of man-eating lions. Combined with the stunning score by Miklos Rozsa, QUO VADIS is worth watching simply for the orgy of sound and vision it offers.

	Robert Taylor
	Deborah Kerr
	Abraham Sofaer
	Patricia Laffan
	Leo Genn
	Finlay Currie
	Peter Ustinov
	Marina Berti
	Sam Zimbalist - Producer
	Ralph E. Winters - Editor
	Robert Surtees - Cinematographer
	Miklos Rozsa - Composer
	John Lee Mahin - Screenwriter
	Cedric Gibbons - Production Designer
	Mervyn LeRoy - Director

QUO VADIS is a fabulous saga that dramatizes a decaying Rome under the rule of an insipid, grandiose Nero. All the accoutrements of Ancient Rome are depicted here: chariot races, persecuted Christians battling lions in the arena, Nero's extravagant lifestyle, Rome going up in flames, and more. This was the biggest of the Biblical box-office blockbusters in its time. Peter Ustinov's performance as the lazy, debauched Nero is a standout.

"Quo Vadis, Domine?" (Whither goest Thou, Lord?) are the words uttered by St. Peter (Finlay Currie) as he flees Pagan Rome

Los Angeles Times
"...A splendid-looking film with elaborate sets and a cast of thousands..." 04/12/2002 p.C10

Entertainment Weekly
"Mervyn LeRoy's gorgeously gaudy film details Rome under Nero (Ustinav) as he persecutes Christians and burns his city." 11/14/2008 56

Total Film
3 stars out of 5 -- "[T]he scale still wows and Peter Ustinov's overacting is a masterclass in getting noticed." 03/01/2009