Quo Vadis (1950)
Themes & Commentary
Religion
To say Quo Vadis has some religious themes would be a grave understatement. It's more like a religious movie, having entire scenes dedicated to Bible-talk and, to be blunt, preaching about Christianity. Of course, like the 1959 Ben-Hur, this reflects the increased devotion to Christianity that occurred in America at this time.
Resistance
Despite being rather preachy, Quo Vadis depicts a valuable lesson to worldwide audiences about resistance. As Nero sends to execute the Christians, they begin to sing and pray, showing their dedication to their religion and livelihoods despite persecution. Given that several years of genocide and both religious and ethnic persecution just occurred not even a decade before this film was released, it's no surprise that this spirit of resistance and human strength was depicted in Quo Vadis.
Redemption
One of the most unique aspects of Quo Vadis that sets it apart from most other Toga movies is its protagonist, Marcus Vinicius. He starts out as an arrogant and easy-to-hate war hero who tries to win over Lygia by force. However, as the film goes on and he spends more time with Christians, he realizes how tyrannical Ancient Roman leaders are and helps to save the Christians and Roman citizens from the great fires of Rome.
