Quo Vadis (1951)

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1. 

   Siskoid

   I could not care less about the romance in Quo Vadis, a big budget spectacular set in Nero's Rome, so the first half drags abominably. I couldn't spot Robert Taylor's character in the crowd of 32,000 extras if you paid me to, and liking Deborah Kerr a lot in other things doesn't not help me get invested in a melodramatic performance as a Christian woman who draws his attentions. I wouldn't call Peter Ustinov's Nero one of the great film performances, but at least he has an interesting character to play with, especially when he interacts with Leo Genn's dangerously insolent Petronius, a Roman's Roman who gets all the best scenes. So from the fire of Rome onward, things get better, but the messaging is all over the place. On the one hand, Christianity is presented as the better ethos (to the point of pandering to its audience), but on the other, the script is quite convinced in the nobility of the Roman ethos, absent Nero-tic madness. It reminds me of Titanic, where the historical elements are compelling, but the romance story feels forced and distracting. The sets are immense and colorful, and there's a harrowing fight between a man and a bull, as befits an epic of this size, but Quo Vadis' achievements are, on the whole, mostly technical. 5 years 3 months ago
2. 

   On cinema at the cinema

   Booooorrrrringggggggg!
   Nero was the only good thing in the movie 3 years 6 months ago
3. 

   ClassicLady

   Epic spectacle that I'd expect from DeMille. Given the great cast, it's surprising that it failed to hold my attention for most of the movie. The women were wonderful to look at. The men were strong brutes, again lovely to look at. And even though I adore Robert Taylor, I think this role was too big for him. Ustinov was fabulous as usual. 11 years 1 month ago

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