Tedious film. No decent sense of character anywhere, overcome by over-piety of the production team. As someone else's review mentions, the ignoring of much history is abundant; and the approach is also historically extremely shaky in many areas concerning the nature of the apostolic church, with a clear didactic purpose in mind. For example, the collection of Polycarp's relics is the first time this happens in recorded history, yet this film doesn't want to tip a nod to branches of Christianity which venerate relics and simply does not mention this at all - indeed the shying away from anything after his death (no relics, no miracles) seems to be emphasising a rejection of the doctrine of the communion and intercession of saints. All the portrayal of Polycarp's own ministry is done as if he is a modern protestant evangelical preacher, akin to a pious Baptist perhaps, and the Eucharist has no sacramental properties in the film; there is no formal liturgy involved, despite contemporary writings attesting to a liturgy something like modern Orthodox/Catholic liturgy and a sacramental theology not far different. Polycarp was a major bishop in a hierarchy that was established in the generation before with remarkable detail (cf. letters of St Ignatius, St. Clement and Polycarp himself), yet the church is presented as informal and a matter for local piety only. It seems the creators of the film, having chosen their subject, were just too unwilling to accept its reality. So in summary:
- Boring if you are looking for some drama
- Probably loaded/misleading if you are looking for theology/ecclesiology