Yeah, his performance was terrible and hammy at times, I thought. He only looked the part.
shareFor me, it is a bigger problem that they turned Marcus Vinicius into such an asshole.
It was only when the fire began, that he would start to be deserving of Lygia's affections.
Admittedly, it is true that MV did some questionable things in the novel as well.
But still, it was more like he was confused and ignorant than as pompous and smug as he was in this movie.
That said, it is no wonder that they ignored that MV had a slave killed just for bringing him bad news in the novel.
But yeah, I must agree that Robert Taylor could have been replaced by anybody without any problems.
And I can say the same thing about Deborah Kerr, even if she of course was much less wooden.
Basically, this movie was pretty much carried by Leo Genn and Peter Ustinov and maybe Patricia Laffan.
Thus, it makes no difference to me who played the romantic leads.
Yep, I thought Ustinov was great and Genn and Lagan very good. Kerr was decent. And I agree that it was not credible that Lydia would fall for a man of Marcus’ low character in the first two-thirds of the movie.
shareIt is more believable in the novel, where he wasn't a jerk to her until he got drunk at Nero's party.
But it was a rocky relationship there too until Marcus had started to convert to Christianity.
Then it became permissible for Lygia to accept him.
Deborah Kerr was decent, maybe a bit too much of a damsel in distress. Robert Taylor was pretty mediocre I agree.
shareWell, Lygia happens to be more spirited and independent in this movie than in the novel.
It is hardly the actor's fault how a character is written either.
Taylor was always on time.
shareFlat as a pancake. No, maybe flatter.
share