Back in my days at the film archives, Raymond J. Regis, the legendary film collector, was excited when he finally had a chance to screen his Technicolor print of Quo Vadis. He tested out the theaters new mega-screen with the footage of Rome burning. Its impossible for me to hear this films title without thinking of Ray being pumped up for that screening. He was a connoisseur of religious epics from the 50s. Ray would have been eager to pick up Quo Vadis on Blu-ray to see if its message of spiritual sacrifice was uplifted in 1080p.
The film opens with General Marcus Vinicius (Robert Taylor) leading his legion back to Rome. They are given orders from Emperor Nero (Peter Ustinov) to camp outside the city. Marcus is not happy at his men being denied the right to sleep in their beds after three years of battling in England. He goes to the city to get a reason of their delay, but ends up falling for the red headed Lygia (Deborah Kerr). Shes a captured slave in a friends house. Marcus is prevented from putting the moves on her by the gigantic Ursus (Buddy Baer). He plots to get her away from his pal and her bodyguard by pulling strings with Nero.
What he doesnt know is that his pal, Lygia and others around them are Christians. It has been nearly 30 years since Jesus was crucified. His word has taken root across the empire. They no longer view the Emperor as a God on Earth. They have taken St. Paul and St. Peter into their circle. Taylor slowly comes to understand the message of Jesus. He also loses faith in Nero being so divine.
Nero enjoys being the Emperor of Rome, but cant stand a majority of Romans. He dreams of being able to redo the city so he can stomach the locals. How can he eliminate the ghetto district? This eventually becomes the legendary burning of Rome. This was not an accident, but a case of government ordered arson. The torching on the screen is still a destructive force of beauty as sets flame up and tumble down. Nero frames the Christians for the destruction. Marcus is now amongst the guilty. For punishment he changes up the format at the Coliseum. These helpless folks will “fight” the lions. Can this new faith survive such punishment? Will Marcus newfound spirituality make him turn his back on his lofty career? Or will he fight with passion for his new God?
This is an epic film with a strong spiritual bond at its core. Kerr and Taylors romance is believable amongst the glories of Rome. Ustinov is perfect as the man who feels watching his kingdom burn is a great improvement. Quo Vadis has been overshadowed over the years in the religious epic category by The Robe and The Ten Commandments. But for those who enjoy a Technicolor glow to a tale of religious conversion, Quo Vadis is essential viewing.
The video is 1.33:1 full frame, but it is pillarboxed for a 1.78:1 anamorphic picture. The 1080p transfer takes full advantage of the lush Technicolor palate. This looks almost as good as watching Rays 35mm print. The readout averages in the low 30 Mbps. The audio is Dolby Digital Mono. It gives you a crisp listen to the glories of ancient Rome. The foreign language dubs include French, Spanish, German, and Italian. The subtitles are in French, Spanish, German, Italian, Chinese, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Korean, Norwegian, Portuguese and Swedish. This Blu-ray could be the perfect gift for a United Nations interpreter.
Commentary by F.X. Feeney is engaging and very informative. You feel like youre getting a top notch talk about the movie and the players. He takes us into the subtle themes of the movie.
In the Beginning: Quo Vadis and the Genesis of the Biblical Epic (43:54) describes how this epic film was made to battle the impending television revolution. Many of the talking heads detail how the Roman attitude in the film reflected America in the post-war years. Were also told how this film resurrected Italys Cinecitta Studio.

Trailers (6:11) has the teaser and full trailer. Theres a great opening to the teaser with an invitation from the theater manager thats excited to show us the movie.
Quo Vadis should be witnessed by those who enjoy Gladiator and HBOs Rome. The film gives us the epic nature of Rome and the rise of Christianity inside the massive Coliseum. After nearly half a century, the film is still a spiritual message that hasnt fallen into ruins. The Blu-ray presentation is glorious.
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Warner Home Video presents Quo Vadis. Directed by: Mervyn LeRoy. Starring: Robert Taylor, Deborah Kerr and Peter Ustinov. Running time: 174 minutes. Rating: Not Rated. Released on DVD: March 17, 2009. Available at Amazon.com
