Polycarp (2015):

This movie dramatizes the martyrdom of Polycarp, the 2nd century Bishop of Smyrna and disciple of the Apostle John, based on history. It highlights spiritual and historical themes linked to the apostolic era and relevant to our time. It is set in the Roman Province of Smyrna under Quadratus, the Roman Proconsul, in 155 AD who brutally persecuted Christians as “atheists’ demanding to worship the emperor as god.

The story unfolds through the perspective of a fictional character named Anna. She is a pagan slave rescued and adopted into a Christian family. Her transformation from slave to daughter in a loving, healthy family serves as a parallel to the idea of being redeemed from the “bondage of sin.” The aged Bishop Polycarp is part of the same family that cares for him. Polycarp, along with fellow Christians Iraneus and Justin Martyr, evangelizes through writings and secret communities. Roman persecution looms large, seeking to extinguish Christian faith.

Anna gradually warms to the love she experiences in the Christian family. She struggles with her family's strange faith, especially when she is told that their God is the one who truly set her free, rather than just the man who purchased her from the slave market. Her adopted brother, young Germanicus, mentored by Polycarp, also struggles between loyalty to Christ and fear of death because of it. Germanicus ultimately chooses martyrdom in the arena.

Christians denied the Roman gods and refused worship to Caesar: they would only honour him. This is considered high treason worthy of death. The Proconsul demands that all citizens burn incense to Caesar, declaring his divinity and prove their submission. Polycarp and his congregation refuse. For them, it is idolatry. Polycarp passes on the teachings he received from the Apostle John to the next generation, encouraging his flock to trust God's love in the face of threats. He becomes the prime target for Persecution. Briefly, he flees the city after the martyrdom of Germanicus. More than his life, he is anxious to save the manuscripts of the scriptures he has preserved. Then he returns to defend his faith.

Before his arrest, Polycarp prays, thanking God. Before Quadratus, he is threatened with wild beasts and fire if he would not offer incense before the idol of Caesar as an act of worship. His fellow Christian Quintus turns apostate.  Polycarp calmly refuses. He courageously pays the price of discipleship with his life. His final response to the Proconsul demanding to curse Christ is a quote echoing the original historical report: “Eighty-six years I have served Him, and He never did me any wrong. How can I blaspheme my King and Saviour?” Polycarp represents courage of conviction in the face of hostility. The central message is: “Perfect love drives out fear.”

The Pride of the Yankees (1942): Run time --128 minutes.

Director: Sam Wood

Cast: Gary Cooper, Teresa Wright, Babe Ruth, Bill Dickey, Walter Brennan, Dan Duryea, Elsa Janssen, Virginia Gilmore

One of Hollywood’s top sports classics, this inspiring biopic presents the rags-to-riches story of Lou Gehrig, the beloved hero of America’s national sport baseball. The movie was released soon after Gehrig’s death in June 1941, after a long battle with ALS, a neurodegenerative condition, known after him (Lou Gehrig’s disease). The movie was celebrated in the US as America was being drawn into the World War II after Pearl Harbor -- a time when the country needed a hero. Gehrig admired for his personal integrity and sportsmanship, became a symbol of national pride and unity.

Born in 1903 in Manhattan to poor German immigrants, Lou was the only survivor among 4 children. His father was mostly unemployed and sickly. His mother Christina, who worked as a maid, was his mentor. Lou’s strong relationship with his parents, particularly his mother, is a major subplot in the story. Christina wanted her baseball crazy son to pursue engineering. Lou earned a football-baseball scholarship at Columbia University, where his talent in baseball was noted. He was forced to pursue his career in that line.

His performance impressed the Yankees who drafted him into their team in 1921. He joined because he had to support his sick mother’s medical expenses, but hid his abandonment of engineering from her. She gets upset when she discovers the $1,500 check he has been given. But she relents when she learns how much it means, and becomes his biggest fan and does his laundry on road trips.

Gehrig’s career with the Yankees lasted 17 years from 1923 to 1939. His fellow player Babe Ruth stands in contrast to Lou. Ruth enjoyed fame and celebrity status whereas Lou focused on his field performance. Humble, loyal and shy of the limelight, he would visit sick children in hospitals to comfort them. In the field, his achievements were legendary, setting many records. The press gave him the nickname ‘Iron Horse’ for his durability. He lives up to that reputation when he willingly substitutes for his sick teammate and even playing with broken fingers and illness.

The emotional centre of the story is embodied in his relationship with wife Eleanor who is his fan. Their mutual devotion, selfless love and courage in the face of adversity come out while he faces the tragic illness. During the 1938-39 season, Lou starts to fade. Diagnosed with ALS and a life expectancy of 3 years, he publicly expressed his retirement. In the historic concluding sequence set in the Yankee stadium in July 1939, Lou delivers a rousing farewell speech to his fans. With humility and grace, he declares himself the “luckiest man on the face of the earth.” Thanking everyone who loved him, he concludes: “I might have been given a bad break, but I’ve got an awful lot to live for.”