Brother Sun, Sister Moon

Starring:Graham Faulkner, Judi Bowker, Leigh Lawson, Kenneth Cranham, Lee Montague, Valentina Cortese, Alec Guinness, Michael Feast, Nicholas Willatt, John Sharp, Adolfo Celi, Francesco Guerrieri, Peter Firth, Carlo Pisacane
Director: Franco Zeffirelli
Studio: Paramount
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

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

Customer Reviews:

Unique and Sublime.......2007-06-27

If you have ever been believed that butterflies glide and swoop with thoughts of pure delight, or that the souls of men may indeed soar like birds delighting in the freedom air and sun, then this is a film for you. A rarity among the movie making gendre, for there is no spin, no contradictory message to fog the moral compass of the soul. This is just the true story of an exceptional man, a rebel against the values that enslave the thoughts, which are but chains of misery, of present day as with 13th century Italy, masterfully told by one of the greatest director of all time. A film to be cherished on high as with the rare likes of "A Man for All Seasons." And one that I can never tire of as a result of its profundity.

Just as avertised.......2007-06-08

Was delivered quickly, well packaged and in condition as described. Absolutely no complaints

Spiritual Wisdom.......2007-05-13

This is by far one of my favourite movies of all time and is a must watch for just about everyone on the planet. It is a great rendision of St. Francis. If you watch this movie and don't like it, then you need to watch it again and open your heart and eyes to love because you missed the point the first time. Whether or not this is the best picture about St. Francis does not matter. It's the movie it'self that draws on an open heart concept. Don't miss this film. I highly recommend buying this one for anyones collection.

Brother Sun, Sister Moon: Maybe their is Hope!.......2007-05-12

I am not a religious person nor do I beleive in life after death. That being said, seeing Brother Sun Sister Moon gives me hope in the human being in that the message behind of it all is: what ever people may say on you or however you are judge, just fallow the path you think is yours.
It might be an odd review, but the rest you must see; its a Masterwork.
The scenes are breathtaking and the actors are beautiful. The music and songs will take you elswhere, and that is precious. If possible: THREE thumbs up!

Gorgeous Canticle Reflects St. Francis.......2007-03-22

Franco Zefferelli's biography of St. Francis, `Brother Sun and Sister Moon,' is a bona fide masterpiece. The cinematography--thanks partly to Ennio Guarnieno--unfolds kaleidoscopically. The editing and camera angles are sheer perfection. Watching the beauty unfold in every scene, village and landscape have the glory as if they were from Francis's own eyes. Created in 1972, Zefferelli draws from an audience during the waning years of the hippie era. Nevertheless, his implementation of an icon classic is one of the few figures of Catholicism to thrive during that time. (Unless you want to qualify John XXIII, but he provided less hippie appeal.) `Brother...' is sensual without being disrespectful and enjoyable without becoming out of context. The architecture and garments never forget that Francis came from medieval times--even if the pageantry, too, imitates a peacock's myriad of colors. Included in the story is a rather harsh rendering of ecclesiastical authority. (G.K. Chesterton, in his biography of Francis, maintains that upon their meeting, Francis was the big man and the pope was the small man, but the small man was needed. Francis restored a gospel simplicity to a church that was as damaged as the actual one he had to reassemble, but the pope had prudent points to make.) Francis's father and the local bishop bring enough conflict to provide a plot. Anyway, theology aside, there isn't much to argue about in this rendering. Besides Alec Guinness doesn't disappoint as the pope. Speaking of acting, Graham Faulkner is a dead-ringer in looks and interpretation for the troubadour of God and nature. And "Sister Moon," Claire (Judy Bowner)--if you will--is radiant, even if she seems misplaced--more like a runner-up to play Juliet. Every aspect of Francis is represented, and, although, like the rest of us, he led an episodic life, the threads are woven as seamlessly as one of his father's garments. Francis's life comes off like a glistening mosaic in movie form. Zefferelli's treatment of Francis walks on water. Never plodding nor resorting to spiritual fast food, the pace is as flawless as everything else. How they manage to use Donovan's original soundtrack and a "Gloria" that never become tongue-in-cheek or embarrassing is a miracle in itself. (Donovan was a perfect choice for exhuding the saint's simplicity.) Florid without being vapid, timely without seeming dated, 'Brother Sun and Sister Moon' is a celebration of Francis's life. Like his rendering of 'Romeo and Juliet,' `Brother Sun and Sister Moon' deserves to be a Zefferelli classic.

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