Quo Vadis (1951 film)

Quo Vadis

theatrical release poster
Directed by Mervyn LeRoy
Produced by Sam Zimbalist
Screenplay by S. N. Behrman
Sonya Levien
John Lee Mahin
Based on Quo Vadis 
by Henryk Sienkiewicz
Starring Robert Taylor
Deborah Kerr
Leo Genn
Peter Ustinov
Narrated by Walter Pidgeon
Music by Miklós Rózsa
Cinematography Robert Surtees
William V. Skall
Edited by Ralph E. Winters
Distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release dates
  • November 8, 1951 (US)
Running time
 171 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $7,623,000[1][2]
Box office $21,037,000[2]

Quo Vadis (a Latin phrase meaning "Where are you going?") is a 1951 American epic film made by MGM in Technicolor. It was directed by Mervyn LeRoy and produced by Sam Zimbalist, from a screenplay by John Lee Mahin, S. N. Behrman and Sonya Levien, adapted from Henryk Sienkiewicz's classic novel Quo Vadis (1896). The novel had previously been made into an Italian film Quo Vadis (1924). The music score was by Miklós Rózsa and the cinematography by Robert Surtees and William V. Skall. The title refers to an incident in the apocryphal Acts of Peter; see Quo vadis?.

The film stars Robert Taylor, Deborah Kerr, Leo Genn, and Peter Ustinov, and features Patricia Laffan, Finlay Currie, Felix Aylmer, and Abraham Sofaer. Sophia Loren and Carlo Pedersoli were both cast in the movie as uncredited extras, and Sergio Leone worked on it as an assistant director of the Italian company.

Plot

The action takes place in ancient Rome from AD 64–68, a period after Emperor Claudius' illustrious and powerful reign, during which the new corrupt and destructive Emperor Nero ascends to power and eventually threatens to destroy Rome's previous peaceful order. The main subject is the conflict between Christianity and the corruption of the Roman Empire, especially in the last period of the Julio-Claudian line. The characters and events depicted are a mixture of actual historical figures and situations and fictionalized ones.

The film tells the story of a Roman military commander, Marcus Vinicius (Robert Taylor), who is also the legate of the XIV Gemina, returning from the wars, who falls in love with a devout Christian, Lygia (Deborah Kerr), and slowly becomes intrigued by her religion. Their love story is told against the broader historical background of early Christianity and its persecution by Nero (Peter Ustinov). Though she grew up Roman as the adopted daughter of a retired general, Aulus Plautius (Felix Aylmer), Lygia is technically a hostage of Rome. Marcus persuades Nero to give her to him for services rendered. Lygia resents this, but still falls in love with Marcus.

Meanwhile, Nero's atrocities become increasingly more outrageous and his acts more insane. When he burns Rome and blames the Christians, Marcus goes off to save Lygia and her family. Nero captures them and all the Christians, and condemns them to be killed in the arena. However, Marcus's uncle, Petronius (Leo Genn), Nero's most trusted advisor, warns that the Christians will be made martyrs and, tired of Nero's insanity and suspecting that he might become a victim of his antics too, commits suicide by slitting his wrist artery, sending Nero a farewell letter in which he finally communicates his derisive opinions he had never been able to tell the emperor in fear of his own life. Marcus is arrested for trying to save Lygia. In prison, Saint Peter (Finlay Currie), who has also been arrested after returning to Rome upon a sign of the Lord, marries the couple; eventually, he is crucified upside-down as an ironic twist at the whim of Nero's guard.

Poppaea (Patricia Laffan), Nero's wife, who lusts after Marcus, devises a diabolical revenge for his rejection of her. Lygia is tied to a wooden stake in the arena. A wild bull is also placed there, and Lygia's bodyguard giant, Ursus (Buddy Baer) must try to kill it with his bare hands, otherwise Lygia will be gored to death. Marcus is tied to the spectator's box and forced to watch, much to the horror of his officers, who also attend the spectacle. When all seems hopeless, Ursus is able to break the bull's neck. Hugely impressed by Ursus's courage, the crowd exhorts Nero to spare them, which the emperor is not willing to do. However, Nero's four other retainers Seneca (Nicholas Hannen), architect Phaon (D. A. Clarke-Smith), Lucan (Alfredo Varelli), and Terpnos (Geoffrey Dunn) vouch for the mob's demands by putting their thumbs up as well. Marcus then breaks free of his bonds, leaps into the arena, frees Lygia with the help of his loyal troops from his legion, and announces that General Galba is at that moment marching on Rome, intent on replacing Nero.

The crowd, now firmly believing that Nero, and not the Christians, is responsible for the burning of Rome, revolts. Nero flees to his palace, where he strangles Poppaea to death, blaming her for attempting to scapegoat the Christians. Then Acte (Rosalie Crutchley), a palace slave who was once in unrequited love with Nero, appears and offers to aid him in ending his own life before the mob storms the palace. The cowardly Nero cannot bring himself to do it, so Acte drives the dagger into his chest, weeping over his demise.

Marcus, Lygia and Ursus are now free and leave Rome. By the roadside, Peter's crook, which he had left behind when he returned to Rome, has miraculously sprouted flowers. The radiant light intones, "I am the way, the truth, and the life."

Cast

Music

The musical score by Miklós Rózsa is notable for its attention to historical authenticity. Rozsa incorporated a number of fragments of ancient Greek melodies into his own choral-orchestral score. New recordings were made by Rózsa with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (1977) and by Nic Raine, conducting the City of Prague Philharmonic (2012). Composer Bernard Hermann called it "The score of a lifetime."

Production notes

Screenshot of Peter Ustinov from the trailer for the film Quo Vadis

Reception

Box office performance

The film was a commercial success. According to MGM records, during its initial theatrical release it earned $11,143,000 in the US and Canada and $9,894,000 elsewhere, making it the highest grossing film of 1951, and resulting in a profit to MGM of $5,440,000.[2]

Awards

Quo Vadis was nominated for eight Academy Awards: twice for Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Leo Genn as Petronius and Peter Ustinov as Nero), and also for Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Color (William A. Horning, Cedric Gibbons, Edward Carfagno, Hugh Hunt), Best Cinematography, Color, Best Costume Design, Color, Best Film Editing, Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture, and Best Picture. However, the movie did not win a single Academy Award.[6]

Peter Ustinov won the Golden Globe Award Best Supporting Actor. The Golden Globe for Best Cinematography was won by Robert Surtees and William V. Skall. The film was also nominated for Best Motion Picture – Drama.

Home media

Trivia

Much of the footage of Rome burning was reused in director George Pal's 1961 MGM production Atlantis, the Lost Continent. Reportedly, at a preview screening, when patrons were asked to answer the question "What part of the film did you like best?" one responded by writing, "The part where Robert Taylor rescues Deborah Kerr." (Neither actor was in the new film.)[7]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Sheldon Hall, Epics, Spectacles, and Blockbusters: A Hollywood History Wayne State University Press, 2010 p 137
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 The Eddie Mannix Ledger, Los Angeles: Margaret Herrick Library, Center for Motion Picture Study.
  3. ↑ Books.google.com. Books.google.com. Retrieved 2012-04-05.
  4. ↑ Books.google.com. Books.google.com. 2006-09-14. Retrieved 2012-04-05.
  5. ↑ Wrigley, Richard Cinematic Rome Troubador Publishing Ltd, 30/08/2008 p.52
  6. ↑ "NY Times: Quo Vadis". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-12-21.
  7. ↑ "Atlantis, the Lost Continent (1961) - Trivia". TCM.com. Retrieved 2012-04-05.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Quo Vadis (film).