Fratello sole, sorella luna (1972)

Director:

Franco Zeffirelli

Writers:

Suso Cecchi d'Amico (writer)
Kenneth Ross (writer)

Release Date:

2 December 1972 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | History | War

Plot:

This is a dramatization of events in the life of St. Francis of Assisi from before his conversion experience through his audience with the pope...

Plot Keywords:

Church | Cross | Pope | God | Illness

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 3 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Graham Faulkner	...	St. Francis of Assisi
Judi Bowker	...	Clare
Leigh Lawson	...	Bernardo
Kenneth Cranham	...	Paolo
Lee Montague	...	Pietro Di Bernardone
Valentina Cortese	...	Pica Di Bernardone
Alec Guinness	...	Pope Innocent III
Michael Feast	...	Silvestro
Nicholas Willatt	...	Giacondo
John Sharp	...	Bishop Guido
Adolfo Celi	...	Consul
Francesco Guerrieri	...	Deodato
Peter Firth
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Fortunato Arena
Aristide Caporale	...	Derelict
Carlo Hinterman
Guido Lollobrigida
Carlo Pisacane	...	San Damiano Priest

Also Known As:

Brother Sun, Sister Moon (UK) (USA)

Runtime:

Italy:135 min | UK:122 min | USA:121 min

Country:

Italy | UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:PG | Finland:S | Sweden:11 | USA:PG | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Abbey of Sant' Antimo, Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy

Company:

Euro International Film (EIA)

Trivia:

Film debut of Leigh Lawson.

Goofs:

Continuity: Francis is shown part way down the roof line when he picks up the bird, but without walking any further, he is at the end of the roof when he lets it go.

Quotes:

Pietro Di Bernardone: That's obvious what was wrong with him. The boy needed a woman.
Pica Di Bernardone: Don't be so clumsy, monsignor. It's L'Amour

Movie Connections:

Version of Francesco (1989)

Soundtrack:

Preghiera semplice

Beautifully haunting interpretation

Oh yes, we can look at this as a parable of the "hippies" and an anti-war, anti-establishment film (as if those are somehow "bad" things.) It is all that. Any director who cannot interpret through the lenses of his time is not a very good director. Zefferelli is a master at it. It may make the movies seem dated but that also is a sign of mastership as we see the life of Francis and also see life in the Vietnam era 1970s. The movie itself is hauntingly filmed in a dreamlike manner. It tells the story of Francis who we will later know as Saint Francis Of Assissi. It is not an attempt to tell the complete story of the saint, but to use episodes from his life to speak to the culture of the time. It is not a biography so much as it is an interpretation.