‘I am Patrick’ shatters myths to highlight the true ministry of Ireland’s beloved saint
Actor John Rhys-Davies, known for his portrayal of Gimli and the voice of Treebeard in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, plays the older Saint Patrick. Photo courtesy of CBN.
(REVIEW) Saint Patrick’s Day is normally celebrated with beer and parades, often to the neglect of the true meaning of the day. For Ireland and its largely Catholic population, Patrick is their patron saint. He is a man many people think they know. He is also unique in that he is widely studied by a cross-section of Christians, including Anglicans, Lutherans as well as in the Eastern Orthodox church.
Saint Patrick is largely famous for being Irish and driving away snakes from the Emerald Isle. It turns out none of those things are true. In fact, there is so much myth and legend surrounding the man whose feast day is celebrated every March 17 that the truth has been lost over the centuries.
The docudrama I am Patrick does a phenomenal job cutting through the legend. It peels back centuries of myth and recounts the true story of the man who became a bishop and later saint. With the help of beautifully shot historical re-enactments, interviews from experts and Patrick’s own writings, viewers will gain solid knowledge of who Saint Patrick was and why he still matters by the end of the 80-minute film. And no, there are no mention of snakes.
Patrick was indeed British and lived there during the fifth century during the waning days of the Roman empire. Captured by Irish pirates, he was sold into slavery. He spent six years as a slave before he was able to escape and return home. Feared dead by his family, Patrick grew more intense in his Christian faith during his enslavement. After becoming a cleric, the film goes into great detail about the courageous decision Patrick made to return to Ireland in an effort to convert the pagan population to Christianity.
The movie, distributed by Christian Broadcasting Network, is currently available on DVD.
The older Patrick is played by Welsh actor John Rhys-Davies, known for his portrayal of Gimli and the voice of Treebeard in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. The film is narrated by Irish actor Moe Dunford, who has appeared in popular TV shows like The Tudors and Game of Thrones.
The film’s primary source are Patrick’s own words through his autobiographical account known as Confessio, which Patrick wrote when he was 16, and other writings later in life. It is through this document, and context from experts, that we get to know Patrick’s life and Christian mission. Experts in the film say Patrick believed his quest to preach the Gospel in Ireland would bring about the Second Coming of Christ. Patrick’s ministry proved fruitful and many converted to Christianity.
Patrick’s efforts are thwarted after converts to these newly-baptized Christians are either made into slaves or killed. The last 25 minutes of the film leaves us with a frustrated Patrick increasingly at odds with the pagans in the region. This marks a major turning point in Patrick’s life and how important Christianity would ultimately be for Ireland’s future. From this moment on is when Patrick considers himself Irish just like his followers. At the same time, he is also at odds with the church back in Britain for his unorthodox ways.
Patrick is imprisoned many times by local tribes, but he continues to persevere for the sake of his preaching in the face of the druids. These were a pagan people who had lots of control in Ireland at the time. Despite all this adversity, the film does a wonderful job piecing together Patrick’s past and how his love of God motivated him to keep going. For Christians of all faiths, this film is a wonderful piece of inspiration.
It isn’t a spoiler alert that Patrick is ultimately successful. Interestingly, Patrick was never officially canonized a saint by any pope. Nonetheless, he is venerated by Catholics in Ireland and around the world, especially in the United States where he has come to symbolize Irish-American pride.
This film really does a great job shattering Patrick myths and giving a fuller view of how important of a figure he was in the early church. If you insist on grabbing a beer and wearing green this Saint Patrick’s Day, then do it while watching this wonderful film.
Clemente Lisi is a senior editor and regular contributor to Religion Unplugged. He is the former deputy head of news at the New York Daily News and teaches journalism at The King’s College in New York City. Follow him on Twitter @ClementeLisi.