The acting in this version of Ouida's sentimental story of a poor young boy who wants to be an artist definitely has its issues in terms of speaking lines; even O.P. Heggie, usually a very reliable talent, is poorly modulated. This I lay solely at the feet of the director, Edward Sloman, who had been directing for twenty years.
However, even though a dialog director might have aided some of the performances, the visuals in this are outstanding -- a hallmark of Sloman's work and veteran cinematographer J. Roy Hunt. The voice direction may be poor, but the physical acting is just fine. Given the story -- and the dialog -- references to Rubens, it should come as no surprise that the images refer to the artist, and make the point of the story thereby: that beauty is everywhere for those who can see it, and that faith hope and charity will be rewarded.
This may seem a naive sentiment in this day and age, but when was there a day and age where these virtues were not threatened? Surely a simple story is the place to begin to tell a simple tale.