The plot unfolds in ancient Rome, during the times of Emperor Nero. Roman patrician Marcus Vinicius falls in love with a Chrisitan girl, Lygia. Their union is set against the backdrop of persecutions against Christians during Nero's troubled reign. Refusing Vinicius' advances, Lygia is taken into hiding by Christians. He decides to find her and force her to be his wife. He is wounded in the struggle and Croton, a gladiator who came with him, dies.
Lygia and the Christians takes care of Vinicius and, seeing their kindness, he begins to open himself to Christianity. He asks Peter the Apostle to prepare him for conversion to Christianity. Peter blesses Vinicius and Lygia. While Nero is away, Rome catches fire. Nero returns and sings to the crowd, but they become furious. At his wife's suggestion, Nero blames Christians for the fire. In a series of cinematic spectacles that are set-piece classics by Kawalerowicz, they are murdered in the streets, locked in jails, burnt alive, crucified, torn apart by animals. Lygia is among her fellow Christians. In one of the gruesome displays, a bull is carrying Lygia on its back. She is saved. Vinicius and Lygia escape from Rome, and Nero is assassinated.
Henryk Sienkiewicz’s famous novel has been brought to the big screen several times. Jerzy Kawalerowicz’s adaptation from 2001 is the first realised by a Polish director. It was shot in Tunisia, France, Poland and Italy. Speaking about his film, Kawalerowicz says:
I was always interested in the reconstruction of old, long gone worlds and presenting heros trying to solve eternal dilemmas. The main heroes of Quo Vadis contain almost everything that can be said about human characters, and the story touches the great eternal dilemmas of power, faith, love and responsibility. [...] It is therefore worth asking again: Quo vadis, homo?".
- Quo vadis. Directed by Jerzy Kawalerowicz, script by Jerzy Kawalerowicz (based on the novel by Henryk Sienkiewicz), cinematography Andrzej J. Jaroszewicz, music Jan A.P. Kaczmarek, set design Janusz Sosnowski, costumes Magdalena Tesławska, Paweł Garbarczyk, editing Cezary Grzesiuk. Cast: Paweł Deląg (Vinicius), Magdalena Mielcarz (Lygia), Bogusław Linda (Petroniusz), Danuta Stenka (Pomponia Grecyna), Franciszek Pieczka (Apostle Peter), Michał Bajor (Neron), Agnieszka Wagner (Poppea), Jerzy Trela (Chilon Chilonides), Krzysztof Majchrzak (Tygellinus), Rafał Kubacki (Ursus), Małgorzata Foremniak (Chryzotermis), Dariusz Juzyszyn (Kroton). Production Chronos Film/Telewizja Polska/Kredyt Bank S.A./HBO Polska/Studio Filmowe KADR/Agencja Produkcji Filmowej/Syrena Entertainment Group, Warszawa 2001. Distribution Chronos Film. Colour, Dolby Stereo, 165'. World premiere: 30th of August 2001 in the Vatican.
Sources: culture.pl
Editor: Marta Jazowska