Brother Sun, Sister Moon (1972)

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, including his friendship with St. Clare.

Director:

Franco Zeffirelli

Writers:

Suso Cecchi D'Amico, Kenneth Ross

Stars:

Graham Faulkner, Judi Bowker, Leigh Lawson

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 3 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Credited 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	...	Giocondo
John Sharp	...	Bishop Guido
Adolfo Celi	...	Consul
Francesco Guerrieri	...	Deodato
Peter Firth
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Robin Askwith	...	Minor Role (scenes deleted)
Rossano Attrotico

Storyline

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, including his friendship with St. Clare.

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Plot Keywords:

male objectification | naked in public | barefoot male | cmnm | cmnm scene | 

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Taglines:

His First Film Since "Romeo & Juliet"

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | History | War

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

UK Italy

Language:

English

Release Date:

2 December 1972 (USA)

Also Known As:

Brother Sun, Sister Moon

Filming Locations:

Abbey of Sant' Antimo, Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy

Box Office

Budget:

$3,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Euro International Film (EIA), Vic Films Productions

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Sir Laurence Olivier turned down the role of Pope Innocent III.

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Goofs

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.

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Quotes

Pietro Di Bernardone: He's ill! He's come back from the war because he ill. He's not a coward!

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Alternate Versions

The Italian version runs 14 minutes longer, has a different score (no Donovan) and is totally recut, almost to the extent of being a different film. The film is not a flashback, it begins as the boys travel to an attic where they've acquired suits of Armour, then into the credits, then an extended ride through the fields with totally different dialogue. Different scenes, shots and dialogue throughout.

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Connections

Version of Francis of Assisi (1961)

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Soundtracks

Fratello sole sorella luna
(Riz Ortolani-Benjamin)
Sung by Claudio Baglioni

User Reviews

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.