A
young slave girl, Anna, is rescued and adopted by Christians in 2nd
Century Smyrna and befriended by their aged bishop, Polycarp. As Anna is
taught by Polycarp and her new family, she struggles to reconcile her beliefs with those of the Christians.
When the Roman proconsul demands that all citizens worship Caesar to show their allegiance
to Rome, Polycarp and the Christians must find courage to stand for
their faith against the growing threat of persecution. Anna is forced to come to grips with the truth and choose whom she is willing to live and die for.
Strengths:
This is a Christian history drama. The choice of Polycarp and the setting of Smyrna are excellent, as he was a true disciple in the tradition of the apostles, and Smyrna was a true church (as portrayed in the book of Revelation (chapter 2,vv.8-11). The side benefit is that there are no distracting themes or subplots, just simple devotion to Christ.
The superb use of a ficticious character, Anna, draws viewers into the movie in a very personal way.
Weaknesses:
This is a Christian history drama. The choice of Polycarp and the setting of Smyrna are excellent, as he was a true disciple in the tradition of the apostles, and Smyrna was a true church (as portrayed in the book of Revelation (chapter 2,vv.8-11). The side benefit is that there are no distracting themes or subplots, just simple devotion to Christ.
The superb use of a ficticious character, Anna, draws viewers into the movie in a very personal way.
Weaknesses:
Polycarp was not a bishop in the modern ecclesiastic sense, but akin to that of a head elder. (The early church mistakenly differentiated between "bishop" and "elder," terms used synonymously by the apostle Paul). The script writers would have done well to bring this out.
Polycarp is a low-budget production. The stage sets are obvious, though adequate in providing the necessary backdrop.
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