Whither Quo vadis? : Sienkiewicz's novel in film and television

Whither Quo Vadis? offers an engaging account of how the Roman world and its history are represented in film and the way in which the different adaptations reflect the shifting historical situations and ideological concerns of their own times.Explores five surviving film adaptations – Guazzoni's of 1912; D’Annunzio/Jacoby of 1925; Mervyn LeRoy's of 1951; the Italian TV mini-series of 1985 by Franco Rossi; and Kawalerowicz’s 2001 Polish version Examines how these different versions interpret, select from, and modify the novel and the ancient sources on which it is based Offers an exceptionally clear view of how films have presented ancient Rome and how modern conditions determine its reception Looks at rare and archival material which has not previously received close scholarly attention "Henryk Sienkiewicz's Quo Vadis?, a novel about the encounter between Christianity and the Roman world in the time of Nero, helped him win the Nobel prize in 1905, was an international bestseller, and is still in print in many languages. This book explores five surviving film adaptations which offer an exceptionally clear view of how ancient Rome is characterized on the big screen. It examines how the different films interpret, select from, and modify the novel and its ancient sources, and how contemporary social and political issues, as well as the particular artistic and commercial goals of each production, have influenced each adaptation. Each presents a different story and a different Rome."--BOOK JACKET Whither Quo Vadis? offers an engaging account of how the Roman world and its history are represented in film and the way in which the different adaptations reflect the shifting historical situations and ideological concerns of their own times.:.; Explores five surviving film adaptations - Guazzoni's of 1912; D'Annunzio/Jacoby of 1925; Mervyn LeRoy's of 1951; the Italian TV mini-series of 1985 by Franco Rossi; and Kawalerowicz's 2001 Polish version.; Examines how these different versions interpret, select from, and modify the novel and the ancient sources on which it is based.; Offers an except Novel And Film -- Adapting The Narrative -- Gender And Ethnicity -- Political Institutions, Political Subtexts -- The Roman People -- Religion And Religious Authority In Quo Vadis? -- Conclusions -- Exkursus : Chilo's Mother. Ruth Scodel And Anja Bettenworth. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [266]-274) And Indexes. Novel and film Adapting the narrative Gender and ethnicity Political institutions, political subtexts The complex allusions of the 1985 miniseries The Roman people Religion and religious authority in Quo vadis? Conclusions Exkursus : Chilo's mother : a peculiarity of the German translations of Quo vadis?