Revised Abstract: "Quo Vadis" Review

Thesis: Quo Vadis is a good movie in terms of its visual symbolism which connects several underlying themes of the film. 

First Body Paragraph: Nazi Imagery/Parallels

1. The Praetorian Guard wear black robes and have a salute that is reminiscent of the Gestapo
2. The Triumph
   a. has all the spectacle of a Nuremburg rally
   b. When Nero views the Triumph the scene is framed like photos of Hitler viewing his armies
   c. The common people have for Nero the same hero worship the Germans had for Hitler after he came into power
        i. "We worship you"
       ii. Woman holding up baby to see the emperor
3. Nero burning Rome = Hitler burning down the Reichstag and blaming the Communists to increase Nazi party's popularity
4. The persecution of the Christians and their eventual death in the arena parallels the Holocaust
   a. Poppaea's bull is black, representing both the Romans and the Nazis; his death foreshadows that of both Nero and Poppaea

2nd Body Paragraph: Cinematography

1. Nero
   a. Close up of Nero playing the lyre while Rome burns has Satanic imagery
        i. Framed by glowing red flame, the gold wreath he wears due to the shot’s angle looks pointed, giving an impression of horns
   b. Nero’s final scenes are framed in shadow, suggesting his morality
        i. When he runs into the palace his wreath falls off his head but he does not retrieve it
       ii. His death is similar to that of Hitler, who committed suicide as the Allies overran Berlin
2. Scene Transitions
   a. Scene of Marcus complaining about how he was unable to charm Lygia --> Lygia asking God for forgiveness for being “tempted” by Marcus
   b. Peter speaking to the Christian meeting about his time with Jesus, which is transposed with visuals of that particular event, including one modelled after Jesus’s Last Supper

3rd Body Paragraph: Characters

1.  Lygia embodies Christian values and usually wears pink and blue and wears lavender in the arena
   a. Pink: traditional color for femininity and also stands for romance
   b. Blue: stands for loyalty
       i. Gold stars on her dress possible reference to the stars Jews wore in Nazi Germany
   c. Lavender: evokes nostalgic/romantic feelings, possibly chosen by Poppaea to mock her
   d. is compassionate and tries to get Marcus to understand her faith 
2. Marcus stands for the Roman empire but is dressed as an ordinary soldier, not the Praetorian Guard, indicating there is more to his character, and wears a red cloak
   a. Red: associated with war, desire, and love
   b. starts out as someone who is not the least bit sympathetic
       i. believes the conquest is the only way to attain peace, doesn't believe in freeing slaves, and "compares taming a woman to taming a horse" (Hollywood's Ancient Worlds)
      ii. Over time becomes humanized as he starts to care about more than just Lygia's looks
3. Nero is often shown in purple and wears a black robe when presenting Neropolis
   a. Purple: stands for royalty
   b. Black: traditional color denoting evil and death
4. Petronius, who is opposed to Nero’s plan, wears the traditional white robes of a senator
   a. White: indicates purity and goodness, relating to Petronius’s undying love for Rome
        i. There is also red on his robes, which is a common color motif for the Romans
   b. Petronius also stands out as one of the few Romans not portrayed as solely evil; his flaws don’t overshadow his positive attributes
       i. Petronius begins, like Marcus, as your average Roman with no regard for human life and is callous in his treatment of Eunice
      ii. However, also like Marcus, Eunice's love starts to humanize him, and with that humanization his love for Rome is also brought to the forefront

Conclusion: The visual symbolism of Quo Vadis elevates the movie to a struggle between the forces of good and evil, with the forces of good triumphant.