Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #9148 in DVD
• Released on: 2004-04-05
• Rating: Parental Guidance
• Aspect ratio: 1.77:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: PAL
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English, Arabic, Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hungarian, Icelandic, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 116 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
It seemed like a good idea in 1973: a musical scored by Donovan about the life and times of St. Francis of Assisi, the passionate ascetic who expressed love for God by loving nature. But the finished product was something else. Filmmaker Franco Zeffirelli (Endless Love) makes a decorous effort at communicating the ideals of Francis and even tweaking the character toward flower-power relevance. But the result is feel-good fluff, a boring movie that doesn't penetrate its subject as much as reinvent him toward a modern bias. Graham Faulkner is entirely forgettable in the lead and Donovan's songs on this project aren't exactly first-rate, either. --Tom Keogh

Synopsis
Director Franco Zeffirelli brings his unique blend of inspired on-location photography, beautiful young actors, and moving spiritual energy to the story of Saint Francis of Assisi. Francesco (Graham Faulkner) is the spoiled son of a wealthy merchant until he renounces all his worldly possessions to live a simple life as a man of God. He gradually gains a large following, much to the dismay of the local bishop. With a lovely soundtrack by Donovan, and a distinctly counter-cultural feel, this is a unique film that deserves to be treasured for its message of love and its cinematic beauty.

Customer Reviews

Saint Francis in a late twentieth century context
The date of release says it all; Francis' return from a disastrous war leaves him scarred and disillusioned. The parallels with Vietnam are obvious, although not overdone; Donovan's music plants this squarely in the seventies. A series of (simply portayed) religious experiences changes Francis' life, and gradually that of his friends.
Shot in Northern Italy in the bright colours and "spit and sawdust" that are Zeffirelli's trademarks (as in his Jesus, and Romeo and Juliet, and parodied mercilessly in Jabberwocky and Life of Brian), the cast rise to the occasion to produce a romanticised version of Francis' early adult life, slightly over the top, perhaps, but coherent and dramatically plausible. If the costumes or some of the scenes are extravagant, they nonetheless portray the ethos of the central Middle Ages very well: small town rivalries, the increasingly uneasy relations between rich and poor, the lumbering ritual of a rapidly stagnating Christianity that the Franciscans did so much to revitalise. If it didn't look quite like that, it ought to have done.
I have loved the film since I first saw it and still find myself singing the music (failed hippy!).

Marvellous
I never understand the bad reviews that one reads for this film. It is a stunningly beautiful evocation of Francis life. Do you find it a modern reading of Francis? Good!! That will let you connect with the real person.

A most beautiful film, full of art references. DO NOT MISS THIS FILM!!

brother sun, sister moon: a classic
This is one of the many brilliant works of the accomplished director Franco Zeffirelli. The cinematic score of the film is beautiful especially the choice of location and custome despicts the uniqueness of that time. The story line is very fluid that the viewer would not want to leave his seat until the whole movie is finished. I particularly admire the originality of the musical score by Donovan that does not only appeal to the ear but constantly courts the soul to admire and imitate the life, devotion and passion of Francis and Claire. Graham Faulkner as Francis and Judi Bowker as Claire have made these two Christian and historial icons real to the human eye in their profound acting skills and faithfulness in their portrayal. It is a must see film for both the young and old ... sinner and saint to be. Two-thumbs up!