A look at St. Francis of Assisi on film

To mark the 800th anniversary of the beloved saint’s death, Pope Leo XIV has proclaimed a special Jubilee Year in honor of St. Francis of Assisi. It began on Jan. 10.

Given the dramatic nature of his conversion and the long-lasting, widespread influence of the family of religious orders he founded, it’s no surprise that the life of St. Francis has often been portrayed on film. As early as 1918, a silent Italian production, “Frate Sole” (“Brother Sun”), directed by Ugo Falena, was devoted to the subject.

Following, in alphabetical order, are capsule reviews of four of these movies. All are currently available to viewers in various formats.

“Brother Sun, Sister Moon” (1972)

Director Franco Zeffirelli’s version of the oft-told story of Francis of Assisi (Graham Faulkner) treats him as secular saint and social heretic, emphasizing parallels between his age and our own. The strength of the movie lies in its rich visualization of the natural beauties of the Umbrian hills and the Romanesque architecture of medieval Assisi. While the lush and lavish production has nothing to do with the Franciscan spirit of poverty and simplicity, it is a pictorially beautiful movie which succeeds quite well in celebrating nature and the quest for finding more to life than accumulating material goods. Brief rear male nudity in a nonsexual context. The OSV News classification is A-II — adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association rating is PG — parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.

“The Flowers of St. Francis” (1950)

Remarkable Italian production about the beginnings of the Franciscan Order as its founder sets the example of humility, simplicity and obedience for his first followers at Portiuncula, a little chapel near Assisi, Italy, from which they depart into the world to preach peace. Directed by Roberto Rossellini from a script co-written with Federico Fellini, the movie’s form is as simple and sincere as the subject of the narrative. Its series of little incidents is related realistically, yet marvelously conveyed with an infectious sense of joy by an anonymous cast of monks from a Roman monastery. Subtitles. The OSV News classification is A-I — general patronage. Not rated by the Motion Picture Association.

“Francesco” (1989)

Overwrought Italian production portrays St. Francis of Assisi (Mickey Rourke) as a spiritual agitator challenging the accepted values of his 13th-century contemporaries by embracing a life of utter poverty and simplicity. Director Liliana Cavani builds an elaborate picture of the period’s social injustices but fails to evoke any convincing sense of religious conviction from Rourke’s embarrassingly vacuous performance. English-language version. Occasional scenes of violence, desperate poverty and brief nudity. The OSV News classification is A-III — adults. The Motion Picture Association rating is PG-13 — parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

“Francis of Assisi” (1961)

Uneven dramatization of the life of the 13th-century saint (Bradford Dillman) who founds a religious community based on absolute poverty, seeks its approval by the pope (Finlay Currie), encourages longtime friend Clare (Dolores Hart) to head a similar women’s order, then journeys to the Holy Land, preaches to the Sultan (Pedro Armendariz) and returns to find his order spreading but changing. Directed by Michael Curtiz, the production is well-mounted and well-intended but the script is a muddle of historical fact and dramatic fiction, with results that barely scratch the surface of Franciscan spirituality. The OSV News classification is A-I — general patronage. Not rated by the Motion Picture Association.

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