Quo Vadis (1951)

Regista:

Mervyn LeRoy

Writers:

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

Data di uscita:

8 novembre 1951 (USA)

Genere:

Drama | History | Romance

Slogan:

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:

Song | Persecution | Henchman | Princess Heroine | Male Female Relationship

Premi:

Nominated for 8 Oscars. Another 2 wins & 2 nominations

Recensioni degli utenti:

Lives up to your expectations...Leo Genn and Peter Ustinov steal the acting honors...

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

Alias:

Qvo Vadis (USA) (alternative spelling)

Durata:

171 min | UK:166 min

Nazionalità:

USA

Lingua:

Inglese

Colore:

Colore (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sonoro:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Divieti:

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

Luoghi delle riprese:

Cinecittà Studios, Cinecittà, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Curiosità:

Robert Taylor's hairy chest had to be shaved for his part because the studio thought a man's hairy chest was too "sexy" for a biblical film.

Errori:

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.

Citazioni:

Petronius: [Nero begins to sing again, and his voice is horrible] Body of Bacchus, I've been listening to *that* all morning!
Vinicius: [amused] He seems in rare voice!

Movie Connections:

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

Lives up to your expectations...Leo Genn and Peter Ustinov steal the acting honors...

Ancient Rome never looked so good--especially in the gorgeous MGM technicolor of 1951. Costumes, sets, photography and music are all of a high order--and all of the performances are competent with two outstanding ones by Leo Genn (Petronius) and Peter Ustinov (Nero). Ustinov reminds me of an overbaked Charles Laughton in some of his mad scenes, but he is a convincing weakling as Nero. Leo Genn has some of the wittiest dialogue and handles his lines with professional ease, his eyes flashing with humor as he pretends to agree with Nero on certain points. Robert Taylor is stalwart in the lead giving his usual dependable performance and Deborah Kerr is lovely (if a bit British in manner) as Lygia.

All the action and excitement you want from a spectacle--the burning of Rome, Christians in the arena thrown to the lions, the triumphal marches accompanied by Miklos Rozsa's mighty score--and scenes with sentimental and religious overtones (sometimes too extended and talky) --all combine to make the kind of lush spectacle MGM knew would be popular at the box-office. Although discriminating critics found fault with certain factors, it won eight Academy Award nominations with Ustinov and Genn both nominated for supporting roles.

Grand scale spectacle--but don't expect anything deep.