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Vinicius: [when asked how his army defeated the Gauls and the Britons] We fought them with our bowels! Try it sometime!
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Emperor Nero: [as the Christians enter the arena to die] They're singing!
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Petronius: [after seeing Rome consumed by flames] Now indeed, Nero has his place in history.
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Petronius: [to Eunice] You ask why I do this. Because I love Nero, perhaps? He fills me with loathing!
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[Nero is exasperated with the mobs]
Emperor Nero: Do I live for the people or do the people live for me?
Petronius: You are the sun in their sky! Does the sun have privacy?
Emperor Nero: The sun has the night! These people expect me to shine both day and night!
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Vinicius: [as the Christians file into the arena, singing] These people know how to die, Nero. In death you will squeal like a hog!
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[On being told the Christians are being blamed for the burning of Rome]
Vinicius: The people won't believe such a lie!
Petronius: People will believe any lie, if it is fantastic enough.
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Petronius: It is not enough to live well. One must die well.
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Petronius: [to Nero] You will be worthy of the spectacle - as the spectacle is worthy of you.
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Description
Editorial Reviews - "Welcome to Nero's House of Women" greets a concubine to a slave girl, Lygia (Deborah Kerr). Later this self-same greeter reveals that she, too, like Lygia, is really a fellow Christian neophyte. And it's that mixture of tawdry Hollywood sex and a strong Christian message that makes this film an enjoyable "gentiles and gladiators" flick. Marcus Vinicius returns home after conquering the Britons to find that Rome is infected with a crazy new sect called Christians and that his beloved emperor Nero (Peter Ustinov, roly-poly and wicked) has become increasingly wacky. Marcus tries his centurion wiles on Lygia, and she's smitten, but she's also a Christian convert and begs Marcus not to force her to choose between him and her god. The Christians have a tough go of it, with martyrdom in the Coliseum as punishment for belonging to the new religion in town. Though three hours long, director Mervyn LeRoy's film always has something going on. It could help you enjoyably kill any rainy Sunday afternoon. --Keith Simanton [refers to the VHS edition] ++++ This officially licensed release from South Korea is in ENGLISH with optional (removable) English and Korean subtitles.
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