This movie is still a classic and does not get old at all.
Peter Ustinov deserved his oscar
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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How Christianity Conquered Rome
Added 7/13/2009
In the early centuries of the Christian era, the faith Christ began with a small band of 12 conquered the greatest empire. Not with swords and chariots but with love. The introduction to the movie summarizes the rest. And in this film we see all the key players in that drama, Paul, Peter, and the Christian martyrs who shamed the empire and eventually defeated her with the love of their Lord.
The title (of the book on which the movie is based) comes from the story that Peter was leaving Rome at the beginning of the persecutions under Nero when he encounters Jesus going toward the city. He recognizes Jesus and asks "Quo vadis, Domine?" or, "Where are you going, Lord?" Jesus answers that he is going back to the christians Peter was abandoning to "be crucified again." Peter is devastated by the implication and returns to Rome to also accept martyrdom. When Christ's body (his church) suffers, so does he.
The love stories that interweave the story are tasteful and truly bespeak something more than the current typical hollyweird portrayal of love as an outlet only for physical gratification. The martyrdom scenes are also done without being overly graphic yet conveying the horror just the same. This is one of those rare films that does not shrink from the dignity of man as too sappy or childish for adults. It is a great Christian film without being preachy or simplistic.
Some (particularly those of a fundamentalist persuasion) have objected to the "Christian" label being applied to this film since the Bible does not mention Peter being in Rome. But one of the earliest works of the Church in Clement I's (bishop of Rome) epistle to the Corinthians written shortly after the events portrayed in this movie mentions the martyrdom of both Peter and Paul in Rome. That epistle also mentions those two apostles as the leaders of the church in Rome. Other historical documents concur with Clement. This film is about as historically accurate as any film of the early church and very entertaining at the same time.
Very well done.
0 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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They just don't make them like they used to !!
Added 7/7/2009
Hollywood could only dream of making a movie like this ever again. 30,000 extras is un heard of these days. It would all be computer and what not. This is a biblical epic but you don't have to believe to love this movie. I am Christian and loved how accurate this movie portrayed the early Christians in Rome. Of course we know that Nero was a nut who burnt his own city down. But this movie is so much more than that. The acting is phenomenal and the sight of ancient Rome being so perfectly built so many years ago should make hollywood envy this movie. If you love movies of ancient Rome as i do this is a must for you. And the Blu Ray is fantastic.
1 out of 2 people found this helpful.
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Beautiful video restoration
Added 7/4/2009
Quo Vadis is a rollicking sword & sandals epic from 1951, complete with campy performances, huge crowd scenes and pious moralizing. It's great fun, and is brought to Blu-ray in a beautiful restored transfer. Kudos to Warner Bros. for providing the original mono soundtrack and not a souped-up 5.1 version; the sound is actually very good for the film's age, and highlights Miklos Rosza's beautiful score.
2 out of 2 people found this helpful.
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Epics the way they used to be
Added 6/29/2009
This is an incredible DVD transfer. It shows you what movies used to be like when color was really COLOR! I've always enjoyed this film, but cannot believe how absolutely gorgeous it is on DVD. (And it really makes me long to see a restored print on the big screen.) The commentary is excellent, full of wonderful anecdotes about the making of the film and the fabulous cast. If you are fond of anciente epics, remember that QUO VADIS is the one that set the whole cycle in motion. Watch this. You are in for a treat.
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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This movie is still a classic and does not get old at all.
Peter Ustinov deserved his oscar
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
|
How Christianity Conquered Rome
Added 7/13/2009
In the early centuries of the Christian era, the faith Christ began with a small band of 12 conquered the greatest empire. Not with swords and chariots but with love. The introduction to the movie summarizes the rest. And in this film we see all the key players in that drama, Paul, Peter, and the Christian martyrs who shamed the empire and eventually defeated her with the love of their Lord.
The title (of the book on which the movie is based) comes from the story that Peter was leaving Rome at the beginning of the persecutions under Nero when he encounters Jesus going toward the city. He recognizes Jesus and asks "Quo vadis, Domine?" or, "Where are you going, Lord?" Jesus answers that he is going back to the christians Peter was abandoning to "be crucified again." Peter is devastated by the implication and returns to Rome to also accept martyrdom. When Christ's body (his church) suffers, so does he.
The love stories that interweave the story are tasteful and truly bespeak something more than the current typical hollyweird portrayal of love as an outlet only for physical gratification. The martyrdom scenes are also done without being overly graphic yet conveying the horror just the same. This is one of those rare films that does not shrink from the dignity of man as too sappy or childish for adults. It is a great Christian film without being preachy or simplistic.
Some (particularly those of a fundamentalist persuasion) have objected to the "Christian" label being applied to this film since the Bible does not mention Peter being in Rome. But one of the earliest works of the Church in Clement I's (bishop of Rome) epistle to the Corinthians written shortly after the events portrayed in this movie mentions the martyrdom of both Peter and Paul in Rome. That epistle also mentions those two apostles as the leaders of the church in Rome. Other historical documents concur with Clement. This film is about as historically accurate as any film of the early church and very entertaining at the same time.
Very well done.
0 out of 1 people found this helpful.
|
They just don't make them like they used to !!
Added 7/7/2009
Hollywood could only dream of making a movie like this ever again. 30,000 extras is un heard of these days. It would all be computer and what not. This is a biblical epic but you don't have to believe to love this movie. I am Christian and loved how accurate this movie portrayed the early Christians in Rome. Of course we know that Nero was a nut who burnt his own city down. But this movie is so much more than that. The acting is phenomenal and the sight of ancient Rome being so perfectly built so many years ago should make hollywood envy this movie. If you love movies of ancient Rome as i do this is a must for you. And the Blu Ray is fantastic.
1 out of 2 people found this helpful.
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