Quo Vadis

Return to ancient Rome, via Poland
VIDEO VIPER IN WEEKENDER for June 19, 200

PAWEL ELAG and Magdalena Mielcarz in "Quo Vadis."

If you have a Netflix account, you probably have had movies arrive and wondered, Did I really order this?
For the uninitiated, as a Netflix member, you go to your online account and add movies to your cue as you think about it or you learn of movies you might want to see.
Then, as you watch movies and return them, you get more movies. It isn't uncommon to have a couple of hundred films in your cue, so the movie you get tomorrow you might have added to your cue months ago.
The other day, I received a copy of “Quo Vadis,” Nobel Prize winner Henry Sinkiewicz's sweeping love story, taking place in Rome 64 AD, with crazy Nero as emperor.
I must have been in a "Quo Vadis" mood, because I ordered two versions, the 1951 Hollywood version, and a TV miniseries.
I got the 6-part miniseries first. Released in 2001, it comes from Polish television no less and offers English subtitles.
But the more I watched, the more engrossed I became.
Now this all takes place 60 years after Jesus is placed on the cross. Some of the original figures are still alive and there is a growing Christian movement.
Marcus Vinicius (Pawel Delag) meets the gorgeous Lygia (Magdalena Mielcarz) in Rome and falls in love. But Lygia is one of those new Christians and when the two meet at a party, he comes on way too strong. She can't stand him.
But of course she ends up falling in love with him, too.
Central to the story is Emperor Nero, played very well by Michal Bajor. Nero believes himself to be a great musician, a great writer, a great poet. Of course, all of his yes men agree with him. They even manage to dab their eyes at the beauty of Nero's work.
Later in the film, when Nero recites one of his poems, Petronius, played by Boguslaw Linda, decides to play a few mind games with the emperor, whom we get the feeling is a bit, well, dense.
While the other hangers-on are ooing and ahhing over the poetry, Petronius essentially says it is darn good, but for Nero, it needs to be better. The poem is about the burning of Rome. Petronius says Nero must live the event in order to translate it. Wrong thing to say. Nero burns Rome. People die. People are angry. They want someone to blame.
Nero decides, hey, why not the Christians?
So Christians are rounded up, including the beloved Lygia. Marcus is able to visit her in prison, in which the Christians are housed next to the lions and can see the hungry cats pacing back and forth.
The miniseries really builds your interest. It would almost be worth it for a church group to see, except for its length, the nudity and graphic violence.
But it shows the early Christians and their persecutions. The camera doesn't pull away when the Christians are brought to the coliseum and the lions are let lose. They attack. They tear off pieces of flesh. A baby is torn from its mother by a lion whom we see tearing and shaking it. We see lions chowing down on severed feet. Very realistic for a television production.
Later, as Nero and his court travel the countryside, we see Christians being burned at the stake, bodies blackened but still alive.
People like the Apostle Peter are intricate and positive characters.
For a TV production, this is very well done and compelling. When I could only watch the first four episodes one night, I was ready to delve into the final two acts the next night.
It is long but it keeps you thinking. When you have a spare night or two, rent it.


QUO VADIS • Directed by Jerzy Kawalerowicz • Written by Jerzy Kawalerowicz and Henry Sienkiewicz from his novel • Runtime: 274 minutes • Not rated, but much gore, dismemberment, blood, orgy scenes, nudity • Polish with Engish subtitles • 4 stars out of 5