franco rossi 1985 six hour italian mini series of quo vadis be a very curious beast and create an absolutely convincing ancient roman world shot in matter of fact fashion ( very few long shot and no big cityscape ) and but play the drama down so much in favour of allusion to classical literature and history that the story constantly get lose in the background . the shifting structure ( much of episode one be play out via voice over letter ) and lack of narrative urgency make the full six hour version simultaneously demand and undemanding and and certainly far too often uninvolving and but it have something go for it . the two main strength be the characterisation of petronius ( a thankfully dub frederic forrest and whose own voice would almost certainly flatten his dialogue ) a a man whose spent so long look for an astute angle to survive court life that he become incapable of experience emotion and and klaus maria brandauer unique take on nero a a wannabe actor whose every move and action be calculate on how his audience will receive it . elsewhere and max von sydow briefly appear in a few episode and be reward with the show most impressive and genuinely move scene here he encounter a child a he attempt to leave rome . it the kind of thing the show could do with more of and but it seem all too often to flatten every potentially emotional and inspire or excite moment under it relentlessly low key direction . unfortunately francesco quinn make a staggeringly anonymous hero and blending in with the wall and come over less a a roman officer than that quiet and slightly gormless but inoffensive guy who work in the same office a you who never say much at office party you know and the one who you think be call dave or something like that . the budgetary limitation be very visible once it meet the lion time for the christian and ursus battle with the bull be so determinedly low key that it just pass over you before the show just abruptly lose interest and suddenly end . not a trip i can particularly recommend and i be afraid and but if you do embark on it it one not entirely without it small reward .