Goethe's drama and Gounod's opera "Faust" is treated here like a movie rather than the usual photographed-opera from a stage method. Faust is a man who sells his soul to Mephistopheles in exchange for eternal youth, and the latter, with guileful glee, leads Faust to disaster along the paths of pleasure. Marguerite falls in love with Faust, and suffers as a consequence.

It does a reasonably good job of situating the drama in 5th century Roman Africa, even though the external sets are obviously contemporary (to Rossellini) Roman remains. The interiors are well done and convincing. The drama is dramatic when it needs to be, though there are some lengthy theological discussions, and one does get a sense of the power of St. Augustine's preaching, of the theological disputes of the time and of the tasks of a bishop. The scenes from his life, though limited till his later life, are well chosen to illustrate his character and accomplishments.