Quo Vadis? (1924)
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | Quo Vadis? |
| Original title | Quo Vadis? |
| Country of production | Italy |
| original language |
Italian German |
| Publishing year | 1924 |
| length | 123 (German version 1924) minutes |
| Rod | |
| Director |
Georg Jacoby Gabriellino D'Annunzio |
| script | Georg Jacoby Gabriellino D'Annunzio based on the novel of the same name by Henryk Sienkiewicz |
| production | Arturo Ambrosio for Unione Cinematografica Italiana, Rome |
| camera |
Curt Courant Giovanni Vitrotti Alfredo Donelli |
| occupation | |
| |
Quo Vadis? is an Italian monumental silent film from 1924 with Emil Jannings in the role of Nero . The film is a remake of the film of the same name from 1913 and is the fourth adaptation of the novel by Polish author Henryk Sienkiewicz , published in 1895 .
action
The film largely follows the novel.
Ancient Rome in the first century AD, at the time of Emperor Nero. Everywhere there is boundless moral decline, the power-hungry Emperor rules with a hard hand and is considered cruel, vain and unscrupulous. He casts his wife away and marries Poppea, who is not dissimilar to his nature and who craves power, greed and debauchery. However, one day she is killed by Nero. A small but steadily growing group of people of different faiths who call themselves Christians suffer from Nero's despotism. Nero, surrounded by courtiers like the wise Petronius and the sinister Tigellinus, sees in them a revolutionary, religious movement that could one day be dangerous to him with its belief in only one God.
Meanwhile, serious feelings begin to develop between the Roman general Marcus Vinitius and the young Christian Lygia. While he initially took part in the festive feasts and debauchery of his Commander-in-Chief, the Roman soldier had serious doubts about Nero's sanity after a while. Because this not only lives in the greatest wastefulness, but begins to persecute the Christians more and more intensely and cruelly. Lygia's purity of heart finally converts the hard-boiled general. As the final act of a delusional self-staging, Nero has Rome set on fire in order to blame this terrible act on the Christians and then let them persecute them all the more ruthlessly.
Production notes
Quo Vadis? was shot in Rome in 1923 and 1924 . It is often falsely claimed that the film only opened in 1925. The film celebrated its Italian premiere in Rome on March 16, 1925, and was shown in American cinemas the previous month. However, could you Quo Vadis? in both Germany and Austria as early as October 1924. In both German-speaking countries, it started in two parts and had a total length of 3372 meters.
With this Quo Vadis, shot in Italian production but with German participation ? Version is already the fourth Sienkiewicz film adaptation. In 1901 a French short film of the same name was made, in 1913 the first Italian monumental film version and in 1922 a US film for the first time under the title Nero (from the Fox production).
Reviews
Contemporary and post-war criticism came to very different assessments:
In the Neue Freie Presse of October 10, 1924, it says: "[E] in a film that is well worth seeing, extremely worth seeing. Taken at the historical sites of the event, it paints the imperial Rome of the decaying period with all its pomp, its lust for pleasure, its lust, Its cruelty. Ascetic Christianity in gloomy catacombs provides the effective contrast given by the story, sometimes perhaps all too loudly emphasized. Broad, in two multi-faceted parts, but always with surprising stimuli, the processing forms the material of the narrative. (…) The The atmosphere of the epoch flows around and permeates the audience. History is conveyed to him with strength and courage, albeit in the traditional sense. Of course, the flaming Rome is more the impression than the fire itself, more detail of the escape and fear than the grandiose spectacle a blazing cosmopolitan city. Nevertheless: a film well worth seeing, a highly worth seeing film, because Jannings plays it Nero. Builds up this notorious character with ingenious instinct or in artistic awareness so intensely, so big in its smallness, that you don't feel: “This is how Nero could have been”, but rather: “This is how Nero must have been”. (...) The director deserves all recognition. She has achieved extraordinary things in individual as well as in mass scenes. The interiors are real, the photographs are wonderfully soft despite their clarity. "
In the February 16, 1925 issue of the New York Times , Mordaunt Hall wrote after the American premiere: "No mercy is shown for the memory of Nero in the new Italian film version of" Quo Vadis, "which was presented last night at the Apollo Theater before an audience which included many theatrical and screen celebrities. It fell to Emil Jannings, who has been seen in films as a Russian Emperor, as a French King, and latterly as a German doorman, to depict Nero as a flabby, fatuous, fawning, driveling coward, eager to burst into song and gullible enough to drink in the lying price of some of the sycophants (…) If Nero had been Emil Jannings's bitterest enemy he could not have held him up to greater ridicule. But after all there was a vein of strength in the rascal who thought he could sing and play, which was not brought out. Mr. Jannings's performance at times is excellent, but in many of the scenes he is a halting, posing, most deliberate Emperor. It is in some instances the acting of an old tragedian. (...) The whole production is excellent as a spectacle, but is too tedious in many sequences to be a good entertainment. Except for the imposing mob scenes and the impressive effect obtained with a troup of lions, it is a production which might have been made several years ago. (...) The real and artificial settings in this film are impressive. Some of the players appear often to be conscious of their Roman apparel and Senatorial wreaths. Lillian Hall Davis, in a thick flaxen wig, impersonates Lygia. She is acceptable, but most methodical in her portrayal. Andre Habay gives a good account of himself as Petronius (...) Others are fair in their roles, but there is nothing untoward in the direction of the players beyond the handling of the huge crowds and the prodigious scenes. "
Jerzy Toeplitz writes in his “History of Film”: “An attempt was made to revive historical film through“ international combinations ”, which were very fashionable at the time. The producer of“ Quo Vadis? ”(1924) the lawyer Barattolo , hired the German Georg Jacoby for Nero Emil Jannings and as co-director alongside the Italian Gabriellino D'Annunzio. But these names and the millions spent on the production did not help. The new version of Quo Vadis? was much weaker than Guazzoni's film, the had conquered the foreign market for Italian cinematography ten years earlier. "
Individual evidence
- ↑ A German production participation cannot be proven, contrary to what is often read
- ↑ cf. Illustrated Film-Kurier No. 82 and review in Vienna's Neuer Freie Presse of October 10, 1924. See also review in Paimann's film lists ( Quo Vadis? In Paimann's film lists ), where the two parts are announced for October 24 and 28, 1924 were.
- ↑ "Quo Vadis?" In: Neue Freie Presse , October 10, 1924, p. 25 (online at ANNO ).
- ↑ Quo Vadis? in New York Times
- ↑ Translation: "The memory of Nero is shown no mercy in the new Italian film version of" Quo Vadis ", which was shown last night in the Apollo Theater to an audience consisting of numerous theater and film celebrities. It was up to Emil Jannings, who had already played a Russian tsar, a French king and later a German bouncer in films, to portray Nero as a wobbly, simple-minded, cringing and drooling coward who constantly craves song and who is all too gullible for homage and is subject to flattery by salivators (...) Even if Nero had been Emil Jannings' worst enemy, he could no longer have exposed him to the greatest possible ridicule. But there was also an air of strength in the villain who believed he could sing and play, which never showed up. Mr. Janning's portrayal is excellent at times, but in numerous scenes he is a hesitant, posing, and deliberate emperor. In some cases this is the portrayal of an ancient tragedian. (…) The entire production is excellent as a drama, but in many sequences it is also too boring to be good entertainment. Except for the imposing mass riot scenes and the impressive effect that are achieved in the scenes with the Lions troop, it is a production that would have been made a few years ago. (...) The real as well as the artificially created backdrops in this film are impressive. Some of the performers often appear too conscious of their Roman clothing and senatorial wreaths. Lillian Hall Davis with her flax-blonde wig embodies the Lygia. Your game is acceptable but too planned. Andre Habay gives a good impression of himself as Petronius (...) The others are quite neat in their roles, but there is nothing extraordinary in the player guidance beyond handling the huge crowds and the great scenes. "
- ↑ Jerzy Toeplitz: History of the Film, Volume 1 1895-1928. East Berlin 1972. p. 476.
