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Studio: Warner Home Video Release Date: 11/11/2008
Studio: Warner Home Video
Format
Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, Original recording remastered, Special Edition, NTSC
Number of Discs: 2
Running Time: 171 minutes
Languages
English (Original Language)
"Nothing do I see that is not perfection". At last one of the great classic Hollywood blockbuster epics of the early fifties has finally found its rightful DVD home with this exceptional release from Warner Home Video! Produced by MGM in 1951 "Quo Vadis" was Hollywood's first wallop in the fight against the onslaught of television. Available at first and for many years only on VHS tape it then began to appear on a plethora of foreign DVDs and with varying quality - it has to be said. One such unfortunate issue, which originated in Korea, was released without any opening credits whatsoever! I kid you not! That said, we now, thankfully, have it in our possession and a superb and pristine double disc issue it is! With perfect colour resolution Robert Surtees' brilliant Acadamy Award nominated cinematography comes across with well defined and plush imagery. With gorgeous colours for the costumes worn by the various cast members particularly dazzling is the golden uniform as worn by star Robert Taylor as he proudly bears himself aboard his chariot during his Triumphal March through Rome. Also of note is, of course, Miklos Rozsa's Acadamy Award nominated score. His main Roman motif, bold and strong, dominates the scenes in the Forum and in the arena. In gentler mode is his beautiful love theme for the scenes with the star struck lovers Marcus and Lygia. Then there's the frenetic bacchanal-like Hymn of the Vestal Virgins immediatly followed by the robust and heroic Triumphal March. Also heard on this issue, and for the first time since the original Roadshow release 56 years ago, is Rozsa's Overture and Exit Music. The great composer would barely eclipse the "Vadis" score eight years later with his Oscar winning music for "Ben Hur". The assembled cast are uniformly excellent except perhaps the syrupy and simpering performance of Deborah Kerr as Lygia. But Robert Taylor is fine in what is probaly his best known role as the Legion commander Marcus Vinicius. Outstanding is British actor Leo Genn as Petronious - the sardonic and sarcastic confidante of the tyrannical Emperor Nero. And of course there is the great Peter Ustinov chewing up every bit of scenery there is as the totally crazed and looney Nero. Both Ustinov and Leo Genn were nominated for Acadamy Awards. The picture is also buoyed by some elaborate and colourful set pieces - the vestal virgins singing and wildly dancing in homage to the goddess Vesta, the spectacular Triumphal March of the Roman legions taking the salute from Nero as it passes the great palace, the exciting Chariot Chase and the brilliantly staged burning of Rome. And not forgetting the harrowing arena scenes as the lions are released on the hymn-singing christians. These scenes all come across extremely well on this excellent DVD which comes with a trailer, an excellent 45 minute featurette "Quo Vadis & the Genesis Of The Biblical Epic" and a commentary by one F.X.Feeney who neglects to tell us that the opening narration is by MGM favourite Walter Pidgeon (uncredited) and persists in calling the leading lady's character Lega instead of Lygia. But it's still a DVD that every devotee will have to have in their collection! Here's looking forward to the Blue Ray version promised for early 2009! .:. Rating: 5 / 5
Quo Vadis is one of those large scale biblical epics that has withstood the test of time. and as they did with special edition dvds of Ryan's Daughter, Dr. Zhivago, Mutiny on the Bounty, Grand Prix, Ben-Hur and How The West Was Won Warner Brothers Home Video has done a splendid job of restoring and remastering the film. but why the break??? a 2hr.52min.film can easily fit on one side of one disc. .:. Rating: 3 / 5
It bares repeating that this film was made before the invention of Cinemascope or any widescreen process. So, I don't want to hear anyone complaining about this being a "Full Screen Version". That is the only way it can be viewed. Also, even though Miklos Rozza's score is not as dramatic as Ben Hur, or any others he composed during this time period, there is obvious similarities to Ben Hur. Close to the end of the film, the march he used at the end of the Chariot Race of Ben Hur is exactly duplicated note for note. Also, throughout the film, those with a good ear will notice other similarities to Ben Hur. .:. Rating: 3 / 5
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