Life magazine once hailed Quo Vadis as “The most genuinely colossal movie you are likely to see for the rest of your lives.”  Having always been partial toward epics and period pieces, I must say, the thought of 30,000 live extras certainly sounded colossal.  With films such as Gladiator, Troy, and Braveheart already a part of my permanent collection; it would be interesting to see whether Quo Vadis could withstand the test of time, and match up against the use of modern day CGI in films.      

Film 

When I was first tasked with reviewing Quo Vadis, I was eager for the chance to finally review this well-known classic.  I had heard of Quo Vadis on several separate occasions, usually being referred to as “the film that started it all.”  The filming of other biblical epics such as Ben Hur would never have been possible had it not been for the earlier success Quo Vadis enjoyed at the box office.

While glancing over the Blu-ray case, I had noticed an intimidating run time of 174 minutes.  It was at this point I had determined that I was either going to be in for a memorable movie experience or a very long night.  Upon pressing ‘play,’ the viewer is greeted with another unusually long overture prior to any live action taking place on screen.  This practice is no longer followed and is certainly reflective of the period the film was made.  Admittedly, I felt the need to fast forward past this point and get the show started.  I must also admit that something as simple as this overture had me leaning toward the latter determination of a very long night ahead of me.

The film begins as we watch the protagonist Marcus Vinicius lead his army back to Rome, returning victorious after several years in battle. Unfortunately, viewers will be hard-pressed to ever see any military on a grand scale in the film.  I do recommend paying close attention to scene involving Vinicius’ return, as it is one of the rare moments where something resembling an army is shown on screen.

Once informed that his army may not enter the city, Marcus Vinicius separates from his troops and storms the palace looking for answers.  We are now introduced to many of the films other players including Petroneous played by Leo Genn, and Nero, the films antagonist.  I mentioned Leo Genn by name because I truly felt that he did a brilliant job in this role.  This was my first time watching Leo Genn’s work but to me his performance certainly stood out.  Much of the film revolves around Nero’s madness being swayed to reason by Petroneous, and the relationship between the pair can be likened to a parent interacting with a young child. 

Marcus Vinicius later finds out that his army was advised to wait outside the gates in preparation for a grand entrance the following day.  Upon hearing this news, he decides to meet with a few old friends and along the way he has an encounter with Lygia, the adopted daughter of Marcus’s old friend.  At this point we have our primary characters for the ensuing 3-hour plot.  In summary, there is a mix of sheer madness from Nero, a few enjoyable moments from Petroneous, and an awkward love affair between Marcus and Lygia.

Granted there are several grand scenes such as Rome set afire and battles taking place within the coliseum.  However, each failed to fall within the realm of “colossal.”  I was truly amazed at the fact that the film contained 30,000 participants yet it lacked even one battle or large action sequence.  The love affair between Marcus and Lygia lacked any real chemistry and failed to provide any type of believable romantic subplot.

With the film lacking in action and the character development feeling somewhat forced, we are introduced to the primary theme of the film; Christianity.  I remember being intrigued by old biblical classics shown on local television many years ago.  Those classics still feel like a distant memory however, as Quo Vadis did nothing to inspire additional thought or trigger any hidden emotions.  

In fairness, the film falls within the genre of drama rather than action so it’s difficult to fault it for a lack of action.  By the same token, it’s being marketed as a film comparable to 300 so I certainly felt the criticisms were just.  Trying to view the film as a dramatic epic only brings up its other flaws dealing with miscasting and the story in general.

Video 

The film was presented in 1080p High Definition with a VC-1 encode and a 1.33:1 aspect ratio.  I must admit, I don’t watch many films at this aspect ratio and seeing black bars on the screen does take a bit of getting used too.  I didn’t set my expectations very high as far as the video quality was concerned, but I must admit, the vibrant colors, and detailed costumes, really did pop off the screen. The various fabrics and interior set designs translate well in this high-def release.

My biggest qualm with the video quality is a particle-like effect visible throughout the film which must have resulted from the restored transfer.  This speck or particle effect can be easily overlooked but once noticed, it becomes apparent.  One of the night sequences also resulted in a faint red hue bleeding in from the bottom of the screen.  The bleeding was very subtle and limited to one sequence, however, it was there.

Overall the video quality is very good and I was impressed with the quality of a number of scenes.

Audio 

The main feature is presented exclusively in Dolby Digital 1.0. and only makes use of the center channel speaker.  Although, I was able to watch the film and many scenes didn’t require the use of surround sound, I found the coliseum scene difficult to watch.  The 1.0 sound didn’t do the film justice and the roar of a crowd needs to be felt, not only simply heard.

Special Features 

The Blu-ray release includes three special features all presented in 480i or 480p standard definition and in stereo or monaural sound. 

• Commentary by critic/film historian F.X Feeney: True fans of the film or the period in general, will appreciate this detailed and well though-out commentary surrounding various themes and exploring the characters in greater depth.
• In the beginning: Quo Vadis and the Genesis of the Biblical Epic: A lengthy documentary running 43 minutes and 54 seconds provides a wealth of information for true fans of the film. Viewers are able to explore the filmmaking process in further depth, including the many struggles run into while embarking on the daunting project making Quo Vadis a reality. The documentary is presented in stereo and is a welcome change from mono.
• Trailers: Both the teaser trailer and theatrical trailer are included and both are presented in standard definition, mono audio. The theatrical trailer runs 5:10 and covers everything from the filming on location in Rome, to the 12 years spent on planning and production.

Final Thoughts 

I must say that I had very high expectations for this film that were unfortunately never met.  Critics have been quoted as saying “before 300..before Gladiator..there was Quo Vadis.“  After spending nearly three hours watching this film, I fail to make the connection to either one of those films.  If you’re in the mood for a good epic film, there are better alternatives out there; many of which were mentioned in the introductory paragraph.