Oscar-nominated Peter Ustinov is superb as the Emperor Nero in this depiction of the end of the reign of this flawed megalomanic. His behaviour is only tempered by the clever Leo Genn ("Petronius"), his arbiter of arts who manages by deft use of language and his wits, to keep the lunatic emperor from his worst excesses. Robert Taylor turns in a pretty standard performance as the film's hero "Vinicius" and Deborah Kerr looks stunning, though acts woodenly, as the rather simpering "Lygia". A wonderfully colourful spectacle of a film showing off the costumier and set designers arts to best effect. Miklós Rósza's score is suitably grand as our story gives the rise of Christianity the Hollywood treatment. It does run on a bit long, and I'm sure I spotted Sophia Loren driving a chariot...
After fierce Roman commander Marcus Vinicius becomes infatuated with beautiful Christian hostage Lygia, he begins to question the tyrannical leadership of the despotic emperor Nero.
Quick Stats
7.1
TMDB Rating
457
Votes
2h 54m
Runtime
$7.6M
Budget
$21.0M
Box Office
276%
Return
Key Crew
DirectorMervyn LeRoy
WriterS. N. Behrman
CinematographyWilliam V. Skall
ComposerMiklós Rózsa
EditorRalph E. Winters
Production DesignAl Goodman
Produced by
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Where to Watch
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Critics & Reviews
1 featuredCast
Robert Taylor
Marcus Vinicius
Deborah Kerr
Lygia
Leo Genn
Petronius
Peter Ustinov
Nero
Patricia Laffan
Poppaea
Finlay Currie
Peter
Abraham Sofaer
Paul of Tarsus
Marina Berti
Eunice
Buddy Baer
Ursus
Felix Aylmer
Plautius
Nora Swinburne
Pomponia
Ralph Truman
Tigellinus
Norman Wooland
Nerva
Peter Miles
Nazarius
G
Geoffrey Dunn
Terpnos
