Quo
Vadis tells the epic tale of Marcus Vinicus, a Roman General, under the rule of
Nero. He falls in love with a Christian, Lygia, and spins into a struggle
between faith in Jesus and the corrupt law laid out under Nero. With the help
of his cunning uncle Petronius, Marcus is able to follow his heart in to the
not only the hands of Lygia, but Jesus as well. Quo Vadis is one of the most
appealing movies of its kind because of the dynamic plot scheme and outstanding
performances by actors; all put together by the interesting techniques is its
use of cinematography.
1)
Plot Scheme: Quo Vadis does an amazing job with
its great use of a multi-dimensional plot scheme. It doesn’t only focus on the
main characters, Marcus and Lygia, but it brings in the other characters do
craft a wholly plot. Petronius and Eunice, Nero and Poppea, and even Peter’s
small individual dynamic all bring a great addition to the story.
2)
Acting: Quo Vadis is built up from its solid
foundation of great acting throughout the entire cast. Each cast member brings
their characters to life, especially Peter Ustinov as Nero, and the audience is
able to develop a relationship with these characters. Each actor finds a way to
build their character up, giving them certain attributes that entices the
audience into forming their own opinions of the plot, as they begin to envelop
themselves in the movie.
3)
Cinematography: There were many well-shot scenes
in the film, some of which seemed to stand out from the other films we have
watched. The scene from which Nero waves from the balcony down to his people in
the square was massive and portrayed that grandness. Also, the shot of
Petronius’s back while he was listening to Nero speak of his new palace held a
lot of interesting metaphors, such as showing the vulnerability that Petronius
has open (His back) as he doesn’t believe Nero’s ideas so
he challenges them.
Quo
Vadis is one of the best films in its time period, and one of the grandest
epics that have been created as well. It embodies all the necessary ideals;
Plot Scheme, acting and great cinematography that all combine into this great
epic. Quo Vadis is a timeless classic, and set a model that all epics following
tried to recreate. 396 Words
You have a very solid argument for Quo Vadis. One thing to keep in mind is Poppaea's acting. I thought she was terrible! She constantly had the same look on her face and was very rigid in movement. So when you say every actor, I feel that you are overlooking Poppaea.
ReplyDeleteRemember, a film review is basically an opinion piece: "QV is, in my view, a great movie because it has/offers (point 1), (point 2), (point 3). So you don't really need a plot summary in the intro. Such a summary makes more sense later in the context of your point # 1 when you want to show what makes the movie's plot particularly good.
ReplyDeleteIn this regard, I like that you don't just focus on the main plot (Lygia and Vinicius vs. Nero and Poppaea), but also consider the contribution of the subplots (Petronius and Eunice, Peter). You may want to explain more clearly, though, why these characters are not just distractions but essential for the movie's success.
I also think you you have chosen two great scenes to support your claim that the film's cinematography is outstanding. I like that you don't just describe the scenes but explain what they do for us, the audience, and the film (convey the grandeur of imperial Rome and Vinicius' triumph, in the one case, and Petronius' vulnerability in the second case).
I hope you'll offer a similar mix of detailed observation and interpretation when you talk about the acting.
I think that is a very well worded conclusion and it brings in all the ideas and points you made in your paper very well. I also really liked all the detailed examples.
ReplyDelete