Henryk Sienkiewicz Movies

Adventure awaits two siblings as they make their way across the African desert in this sumptuous family film from the director of Kickboxer 5. While traveling with their parents as they prepare work on the Suez Canal, the two youngsters are kidnapped and taken into the barren landscape of the country. While in hostage, the kids escape along with a few other African children and make their way back to civilization alone for a long-awaited reunion with their families. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi

This umpteenth film version of Henryk Sienkewicz's warhorse novel Quo Vadis? was produced for Italian Television. Francesco Quinn (son of Anthony) stars as the arrogant Roman legionnaire whose brutish, libertine outlook on life is softened by the love of early Christian girl Cristina Raines. Even allowing for the overproduced 1951 MGM version, this Quo Vadis? is a 200-minute wallow in excess. Accordingly, Klaus Maria Brandauer overplays Nero in an unbridled manner that hasn't been seen since the heyday of Bela Lugosi; at times, we shudder in fear that Brandauer's histrionics may level the papier-mache sets. Quo Vadis? debuted in the US on cable TV in 1986, where it was telecast in two parts. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In Desert and Wilderness is a long but rewarding adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Henryk Sienkiewicz. The principal characters are two young children, who are kidnapped and held for ransom. Escaping their captors, the kids are forced to brave the dangers of uncharted Africa. With little preparation for their plight, the children are nonetheless quick learners when it comes to survival skills. Lensed on location, In Desert and Wilderness is by no means a children's film, though older kids might find it worthwhile. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In this costume drama, a 17th-century Polish colonel falls in love with a princess. Unfortunately the girl is already engaged to a Ukraine commander. The colonel does his best to convince her to break it off and take off with him. The commander gets even by burning down the count's palace and massacring all the residents. He then kidnaps the princess and designs an attack on the colonel's unit. The Poles do not run, and the count is killed thus freeing the lovers to reunite. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Originally advertised as "Colossal Quo Vadis," this opulent MGM production is far and away the most elaborate of the many versions of Henryk Sienkiewicz's novel. The plot, as always, concerns the romance between a beautiful early Christian woman (Deborah Kerr) and the initially agnostic Roman soldier Marcus Vinicius (Robert Taylor). This love story is laid against the larger intrigues of the debauched emperor Nero (Peter Ustinov), who hopes to gain immortality by destroying Rome with a fire and remaking it in his own image. Part of Nero's master plan is the elimination of the Christian "threat," leading to the climactic lion picnics in the arena. In spite of the many more celebrated highlights (the burning of Rome, the rescue of Lygia [Deborah Kerr] from a rampaging bull, the upside-down crucifixion of Simon Peter), the scene that remains most vivid in the memory is the posthumous "final insult" delivered to Nero by his contemptuous former aide Petronius (Leo Genn). Sophia Loren can be briefly spotted as an extra during one of the crowd scenes. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

This Italian silent film version of Henryk Sienkiewicz's novel Quo Vadis? is essentially a series of stagey tableaux occasionally interrupted by spectacle. Sienkiewicz's retelling of the Emperor Nero's persecution of the early Christians, and of one noble Roman warrior's religious conversion, is perfunctory and uncluttered. Evidently concerned that the scenes wherein the Christian martyrs were fed to the lions, and the mid-film setpiece of the burning of Rome, weren't quite enough to sustain audience interest, the filmmakers threw in a chariot race straight out of Ben Hur. Though it seems primitive and uninvolving when seen today, Quo Vadis? is nonetheless an important milestone in movie history. The film ran 12 reels (approximately three hours) at a time when most American productions were still within the 1- to 4-reel length. American film distributor George Kleine pared the film down to 8 reels for US distribution, but this still was an uncommonly long production for its day. While many in the movie industry clucked their tongues and were certain that Kleine was courting financial disaster, Quo Vadis? was an enormous hit in America, held over for 22 weeks at New York's Astor Theatre alone. Kleine was able to charge an admission of $1.50 per person --30 times more than the standard entry fee of the period. The film continued to draw huge crowds when it was sent out in summertime "road shows" all over the country. Quo Vadis? nearly single-handedly convinced everyone in the movie business (except the behind-the-times members of the old Patents Trust) that feature-length films were a viable commercial commodity. It's very likely that, without Quo Vadis?, there would have been no Birth of a Nation. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi