Brother Sun, Sister Moon [Fratello Sole, Sorella Luna] *** (1972, Graham Faulkner, Judi Bowker, Leigh Lawson, Alec Guinness, Peter Firth) – Classic Movie Review 2966

Director Franco Zeffirelli originally conceived his 1972 biopic of St Francis of Assisi (1181-1226) back in the mid-Sixties and it is that decade’s idealistic, love-and-peace, love-as-all-you-need flavour that is stamped all over this hippyish youth-slanted account of the saint’s life. ‘If the purpose of life is this loveless toil we fill our days with, then it is not for me,’ says St Francis.

Brother Sun, Sister Moon [Fratello Sole, Sorella Luna] was Oscar nominated for Best Art Direction-Set Decoration (Lorenzo Mongiardino, Gianni Quaranta, Carmelo Patrono) and Bafta nominated for Best Costume Design (Danilo Donati).

The simple-minded, faith-oriented story by Zeffirelli, Suso Cecchi D’Amico, Kenneth Ross and Lina Wertmuller is shot by cinematographer Ennio Guarnieri in a Technicolor riot of colours on strikingly beautiful Italian, mainly Tuscan locations, as well as at the Dear Studios in Rome.

Zeffirelli chooses fresh, unstarry faces in a largely British cast, though with some Italians, and underscores his movie with sweet, attractively naïve hippy songs by Donovan. The story takes in St Francis’s conversion experience, audience with the Pope and friendship with St Clare (Judi Bowker).

Zeffirelli’s stated purpose is to celebrate ‘the timeless joy of original innocence’. The film is all a little absurd and perhaps not as intelligent or as successful as intended but it’s sometimes touching and always entertaining. There are times when star Graham Faulkner looks lost and embarrassed as St Francis and Alec Guinness gives a remarkably feeble cameo performance as Pope Innocent III. The international version is cut to 122 minutes but the original Italian version runs 135 minutes.

The cast also include Leigh Lawson, Kenneth Cranham, Lee Montague, Valentina Cortese, Michael Feast, Adolfo Celi, John Sharp, Peter Firth, Nicholas Willatt, Francesco Guerrieri and Carlo Pisacane.

Graham Faulkner was born on 26 September 1947 in London. He played a small number of other minor roles, but has not been involved in film or TV since 1984 and has since worked for a private British bank.

The scene where St Francis renounces his birth right is filmed in the forecourt of the Church of San Rufino in Assisi across town from the Basilica of St Francis.

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© Derek Winnert 2015 Classic Movie Review 2966

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