Francesco (2002) (TV)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

Michele Soavi

Writers:

Salvatore De Mola (teleplay)
Leonardo Fasoli (story)

Release Date:

24 December 2005 (Hungary)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

The life of Saint Francis, a saint who was born rich, in the medieval Tuscany, and abandoned all his goods to live closer to the population and is nowadays remembered as the saint protector of Italy. |

Cast

Raoul Bova	...	Francesco
Amélie Daure	...	Chiara
Gianmarco Tognazzi	...	Bernardo
Claudio Gioè	...	Pietro
Paolo Briguglia	...	Silvestro
Mariano Rigillo	...	Pietro di Bernardone
Erika Blanc	...	Monna Piva
Sergio Romano
Gabriele Bocciarelli
Lorenzo De Angelis
David Brandon
Sergio Graziani
Fausto Paravidino
Nino D'Agata
Toni Bertorelli	...	Innocenzo III (as Tony Bertorelli)

Runtime:

130 min (2 episodes) | USA:192 min

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Color:

Color

Filming Locations:

Assisi, Perugia, Umbria, Italy

Company:

MediaTrade

Movie Connections:

Version of Francis of Assisi (1961)

Another film about "Il Poverello"

An interesting film about a special hero of faith. Beautiful, subtle, pleasant. But, in same time, very strange. At first, for the carnal Francis propose by director. For me, the perfect image of "The Second Crist" is the Giotto's fresco. Then, for the original spirit of acting, pragmatic, powerful and shallow. In final, for the humanization of a sacred symbol because Francis of Assisi is not only a saint of a religion, patron of animals, Italy or environment, venerated in Romano Catholicism, founder of "Friars Minor" but one of most important builders of European values.

His life is part of a huge adventure to discover the roots of faith and the essence of Christianism. His "Canticum Fratris Solis", his Regula, his sacrifice and his conversion, stories from "Fioretti di San Francesco" are in same measure important in West and in East. The gestures, answers or prays are same in Orthodox Church, with same sense. The cross of San Damiano remains like fundamental sign of responsibility's forms. And, more important, Francis is model for every desire, hope and fight who compose our life.

In conclusion, a good film. Not remarkable, not poetic, splendid or heroic. But touching and kindly, decent and subtle. In fact, may be a film about Poverello a failure?