Other Titles • Fratello sole, sorella luna • Brother Sun, Sister Moon (1973) • Bruder Sonne, Schwester Mond (1981)
Synopses for Fratello sole, sorella luna (1972)
1.
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
(15 votes)
2.
Leave it to director Franco Zeffirelli (ROMEO AND JULIET, JESUS OF NAZARETH) to successfully pull off an unusual blend of period religious history and 1960s flower power in this chronicle of the illumination of Francis of Assisi. The story follows young Francesco (Graham Faulkner) as he emerges from post-war trauma, renounces all worldly possessions, and attains enlightenment as a simple monk. His materialist father wants him to go into his textile business, but local beauty Claire (Judy Bowker) understands Francesco’s preference for dallying amid the fields of flowers. They start their own church and gradually attract a large following, arousing the ire of the local bishop who sends soldiers to shut them down. Puzzled by such hypocrisy, Francesco walks barefoot all the way to the Vatican for a climactic confrontation with the Pope (Alec Guinness). It's beautifully photographed, with a lovely soundtrack of Donovan songs lending gentle accompaniment.
(15 votes)
3.
Director Franco Zeffirelli's Brother Sun, Sister Moon focuses on the early years of Francis of Assisi, who sought communion with the natural world by renouncing his own destiny unencumbered by material possessions. Francis was, in a sense, history's first "drop-out": he left a life of comfort to seek a spiritual union with the world. Brother Sun, Sister Moon is an uncommonly rewarding and meaningful film experience. This Academy Award nominated film was also co-scripted by Zeffirelli (Romeo And Juliet, Jane Eyre) and Lina Wertmuller (Seven Beauties, Swept Away).
(15 votes)
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