Francesco, giullare di Dio (1950)

Director:

Roberto Rossellini

Writers:

Federico Fellini (screenplay)
Father Antonio Lisandrini (screenplay)

Release Date:

6 October 1952 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

The film dramatizes about a dozen vignettes from the life of St. Francis and his early followers - starting...

Plot Keywords:

Rain | Fire | Christian | Religion | Pig

Cast

Gianfranco Bellini	...	Narrator (voice)
Aldo Fabrizi	...	Nicolaio, il tiranno di Viterbo
Peparuolo	...	Giovanni il Sempliciotto
Fra' Severino Pisacane	...	Fra' Ginapro
Roberto Sorrentino

Also Known As:

Francis, God's Jester
Saint Francis, God's Jester (UK)
The Flowers of St. Francis (USA)

Runtime:

75 min | Canada:83 min | West Germany:85 min (TV)

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric)

Certification:

UK:PG (video rating) (2005) | UK:U (original rating)

Filming Locations:

Manziana, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Company:

Cineriz

Trivia:

The screenplay takes its inspiration from the 14th Century legends "Fioretti di San Francesco" and "La Vita di Frate Ginepro".

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Notes on My Father: An Interview with Isabella Rossellini (2005) (V)

Soundtrack:

Te deum laudamus

Neglected Masterpiece

Unfortunately, this is not an easy film to see. It is not available on video, and it is rarely if ever shown in commercial theaters, not even art houses. I was fortunate enough to see it at a local museum's Italian film series.

This film is exquisitely photographed and beautifully acted, mostly by non-professionals. It's depiction of Francis and his followers make the practice of Christianity seem almost zenlike; that is spirituality consists in being totally involved in whatever one is doing at the moment, in doing, not talking. This is such a relief from much of the pap that passes as religious film these days. See it if you can.