Quo Vadis

By Cyril Pearl -- Video Business, 10/27/2008

WARNER
Street: Nov. 11
Prebook: now
> Gorgeous rendering of the original Technicolor biblical epic.

The granddaddy of modern-day Hollywood’s big-budget, ultra-lavish biblical epics, 1951’s Quo Vadis finally arrives on DVD looking and sounding unbelievably gorgeous. The beneficiary of a meticulous photochemical restoration, the film’s Technicolor cinematography has never glistened so brilliantly. The burning of Rome, thousands of centurions marching down across the Via Apia, the Coliseum’s lions tearing Christians to bits—it all looks beautiful. Miklos Rozsa’s grand score and overture, which is presented here as it was originally heard during the film’s premiere roadshow engagements, sounds simply magnificent. Included among the supplements is a fine half-hour documentary on the making of the movie (which is ultimately cheesily good, but not great) and how its success launched a decade of Biblical spectacles that include Ben-Hur, The Ten Commandments and Spartacus.

Shelf Talk: Even though Quo Vadis is an older title that has been a TV staple for nearly 50 years, the retail price is very right, considering it’s a double-disc edition of a film that underwent a substantial restoration. More important historically than cinematically, the film still has its champions and fans of epics in general will want to add it to their collections.

Epic drama, color, NR (mature themes, violence), 170 min., DVD $20.97
Extras: scholarly commentary, featurette on biblical epics
Director: Mervyn Leroy
First Run: L, Nov. 1951, $12.5 mil.