Synopsis:
Marcus Vinicius meets Lygia in Rome and falls in love. But she is Christian as well as the daughter of the king. Marcus decides to kidnap her but, Ursus, her bodyguard, catches Marcus and injures him. Lygia nurses Marcus back to health and falls in love. Upon recovering, Marcus finds Nero has burned down Rome. And Lygia has been sentenced to death in the Coliseum.

"A splendid-looking film with elaborate sets and a cast of thousands, it is a straightforward, traditional screen narrative of considerable clarity… the crazed Nero has ordered Rome burned, only to discover its citizens are in understandably sufficient uproar to need a scapegoat. What to do but blame the Christians for setting the city on fire and feed them to the lions in the Coliseum?"
-- Kevin Thomas/Los Angeles Time

Drama | 35mm | 134 minutes | 2001 | USA/POLAND

Budget: $18 million
A Chronos Film / HBO / Telewizja Polska Production.

Note: This is the Film version, not the Television version.

Cast:
Magdalena Mielcarz (Strange Crime / Limo Driver)
Pawel Delag (The Magic Stone / Schindler's List / Boys Don't Cry)
Boguslaw Linda (Summer Love)
Jerzy Trela (Three Colors: White)

Crew:
Directed by Jerzy Kawalerowicz (Faraon / Joan of the Angels)
Writer: Henryk Sienkiewicz (With Fire and Sword / In Desert and Wilderness)
Director of Photogrphy: Andrzej Jaroszewicz (Szamanka / Possession)
Production Design: Janusz Sosnowski (Aberdeen / Sexmission)
Composer: Jan A.P. Kaczmarek (Finding Neverland / The Visitor / Unfaithful)

Polish Film Awards (2002)
Winner:
Best Costume Design
Best Production Design
Best Supporting Actor
Nominated:
Best Music
Best Sound