Brother Sun, Sister Moon

Three things of interest here.

The first is cinematic. I am engaged in a movie indexing project that will likely go open source. There are a few beginning qualities I've been working on. I think I will add architectural cloth, as this film reminds me. Its main cinematic device — other than the ordinary ones — is the use of cloth to denote notions of eye, story, vision. There are four specific episodes here as well as the general acting style where the actors have been directed to act into their clothes.

The second is largely historical and probably will only be appreciated by old farts like me. I can't quite explain the extent of the Beatles influence on the late sixties. There just hasn't been anything like it since then. They were more than admired and emulated, they were spiritual leaders. They were serious about this if not altogether willing, and that comment about being more "popular" than Jesus wasn't an offhand statement. In 1968, they were in Rishikesh, India seriously putting together something that they thought was attuned to cosmic structure. It was, in a sense. With them were a few Beach Boys and Donovan.

Around this time they were approached by Zeffirelli to take roles in his "Brother Moon" project. They would have; Paul was the fellow behind the movie projects (and most else) and he truly wanted to. But this was the time of the breakup. So what happened was Zefferelli make the film with ordinary actors and Donovan's music composed with The Beatles at Rishikesh. So at least, this is an echo of the profound influence they had, perhaps as profound as Francis, and perhaps as compromised by the surrounding institutions.

The third has to do with the church. How strange it is that the two most spiritually deep "Biblical" films (in my experience) were made by two gay Italians. These were men (Zeffirelli and Pasolini) not welcome in their chosen world, in fact persecuted for their being, persecuted by their own faith. And they would be even more today as the leadership has "gotten tough with queers."

Lots of lessons here. I first saw this by an aesthetic hippie in about 73 who was carrying a worn print around from town to town to show it in coffeehouses, small ashrams and any alley he could find a spot in.

Ted's Evaluation -- 3 of 3: Worth watching.

This comment discusses the English version

BROTHER SUN SISTER MOON was the first film I had seen in my life. I was 10 at the time when it was on Polish TV (before 1989 such films were censored by communists). The feelings I had are hard to express with words. I loved everything about it, music, story, cast, scenery, everything.

Now, in 2004, when I see it again, I must admit that most of its splendor is gone. Where is this admiration? ... However, in spite of some faded emotions, it is still a film which I consider pleasure seeing again. Is there something magical about it?

I think that what makes me, personally, fond of it are four most basic factors: the director himself, Franco Zeffirelli, whom I have always admired for his "artistic soul", the story, far from the true, but still moving and retaining the gist of Francesco's life - love to God and His creatures, the music by Ken Thorne and sung by Donovan (especially the title song), and scenery in which the movie was shot.

Franco Zeffirelli chose excellent cast. Graham Faulkner was very much like Saint Francis: these profound eyes, smile full of love. WONDERFUL. Alec Guiness was also excellent. His role of pope Innocent is really unforgettable. Others, including Lee Montague (Pietro Bernardone), Leigh Lawson (Bernardo) and Valentina Cortese (Pica) also give memorable performances. Whenever I watch other films about Francesco, I can't get used to other faces than theirs from this film.

The story is very different. I don't know why Zeffirelli changed it so much. In fact, Francesco did not leave his family like that. What is more, he was a great "Lover" of the Holy Cross, which I can't find in this film. However, one forgets about all these mistakes when the scene with the pope comes on screen. A Polish movie critic said that it is the most moving scene in the history of cinema. This viewpoint is, definitely, overdone, but there is some truth in it. The mosaic of Monreale Pantocrator looking deeply into everyone's eyes, pope's dream and second calling of Francesco and finally his blessing to the amazement of others - the film is worth watching for thanks to this scene alone. You will not regret.

The last factor, scenery, is also worth considering. Film's Assisi is a lovely Italian town of San Gimignano, the hills of Umbria are replaced by Piano Grande, a parish church of Assisi by an old medieval abbey of Sant' Antimo, and finally a Roman basilica - the cathedral of Monreale - a real masterpiece of Norman - Byzantine art in Sicily (10 kilometers from Palermo). The locations in which this film was shot are, indeed, one of the best ever.

Finally, if the above advantages did not fully talk for this movie, there is one more - its message. The message of love, forgiveness and respect for nature is extremely important nowadays. Films which promote it, and one of them is, undoubtedly, BROTHER SUN SISTER MOON, are a real treasure of cinema. And this movie does it mostly by the power of flower and song.

I will end this review with a prayer of Saint Francis. Think about it. If we all copy these words to our lives, the world will be much better to live in:

"Lord make me an instrument of your peace,

Where there is hatred, let me sow LOVE

Where there is injury, let me sow PARDON,

Where there is doubt, let me sow FAITH,

This is in GIVING that WE RECEIVE

This is in PARDONING that we are PARDONED

This is in DYING that we are BORN

THAT WE ARE BORN TO ETERNAL LIFE!!!

The filmography by Zefirelli is stunningly beautiful -- one of his best -- a masterpiece worthy of a Florentine artist (Zefirelli's home city).

Being an admirer of Francis of Assisi, I've seen several films which attempt to portray his life. This is the only one, in my opinion, which successfully captures the incredible SPIRIT of the man. It's a movie to experience with the heart rather than the head. It has made a lasting impact on my own faith and spirituality since I first saw it in Italy in the early eighties.

The Italian version of 'Fratello Sole, Sorella Luna' is edited differently and has the beginning scenes in an order slightly different from the English version.

Note: It's helpful to know something about the life of Saint Francis before viewing the film. Since it centers on his spiritual rebirth in Christ, it's rather sparse in other historical details of his life. Zefirelli assumes that the viewer already knows these -- as most Italians would. For example, when Francis first stands in silence and awe before the crucifix in the ruined church of San Damiano, Zefirelli assumes you know that this is the moment of Francis' conversion, that this is when Francis first heard Christ say, "Rebuild my church."

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.

Upon seeing this movie in my young 20s, I fell in love (metaphorically speaking) with St. Francis of Assisi and the simple message of life that he practiced. Though many of the absolute facts were stretched, like in most "historic" films, the movie was completely on the mark about his simplicity and his love of nature and mankind. In addition, it gave a very plausible and probable glimpse of the love relationship he had with St. Clare, all in contrast with the idea of love and sexuality which we have in these times.

Though the Italian version soundtrack was not by Donovan, the English language songs he sang gave the movie great focus and support. I often wondered why it was only issued on vinyl in Italy, which is how I discovered Donovan's songs were not present. The music is sensitive and wonderful.

Both young actors, Bowker & Faulkner, fill their roles with perfection. Bowker is one of the most beautiful and sensitive young actresses of that period, so it is with wonder that she was not more utilized or popular.

Yes, the film does have the allegorical connection with the hippie movement, but that does not diminish the story nor the impact. In fact, rather, it parallels our times and served to connect me with the times of Francis, if that is possible.

Finally, Zeffirelli deserves a thanks for tackling this saint with compelling zeal, passion, sensitivity, and panache. As another reviewer here noted, the scenery will blow you away. And as a child of the 50s who grew up in the late 60s, this movie offset the idea of love having to be of a sexual nature, and elevated love to a plane where it becomes transcendent and transforming. Isn't that what love is supposed to do in our lives? I have had my own 2 sons watch it with me more than once as they were growing up, and they are mid-20s now.

It will be a hard film to find, but is viewable for any age without reservations and is well worth the search. (It is now available on DVD for around $10 or less.)