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Brother Sun, Sister Moon

review by Ron Reed | posted 1/01/2004 12:00AM

Director Franco Zeffirelli is often accused of sentimentality, and this 1973 film and its flower power sensibility plays right into that expectation. St. Francis of Assisi is presented as the original ...

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outdeep

Posted: October 29, 2009 8:13 AM

Watched it for the first time since seeing it at movie night at a Calvary Chapel in the 1970's. As stated, you have to look beyond the idealized version of St. Francis' life. But it still strikes a chord in contrasting a Christian faith and church that is content in the status quo vs. one that seeks authenticity. Whether in was the Jesus movement of the 1970's or the longing of young (and many older) people today, this longing expressed in this movie never seems to go away completely.

tito	Posted: October 01, 2009 6:43 AM


uhgh

Tony Dingess

Posted: June 13, 2009 12:14 AM

One of the few films that I can quote probably 60% or more of. A very dangerous flick for those with the desire to take the Gospel seriously, and to this day I still have the tendency to want to run off barefoot across the nation when I watch it. Probably the most powerful element that Zeffirelli does capture is the power of one's convictions. The simple Francis, without the benefit of persuasive preaching entices everyone to "Throw your scepter in the mud, fling your jewels in the river.." and he does it by simply taking the words of Christ at face value. Critics simply are not seeing beyond the surface. I still sing the tunes to this day and it has been over 20 years when I first saw the film and I am still haunted by the image of Francis in the winter, barefoot on the wall of San Damiano.

Claude

Posted: June 12, 2009 12:03 PM


Linda, Donovan re-recorded the soundtrack he wrote for this movie, and it's now available on iTunes (only). Claude

James Johnston

Posted: May 24, 2009 8:12 PM

Brother Sun, Sister Moon is a beautiful and compelling film. Zeffirelli has a way of making things that seem devoutly intellectual, like Shakespeare and religion, so incredibly entertaining. I had never seen this beautiful film before and was completely taken with it. Ron Reed's above review of the film was thoughtful and informative. Francis of Assisi was history's first "drop out". He left bourgeois society to live a life of spirituality and poverty. What a great film, I wish we could all be that strong.

Linda B.

Posted: May 22, 2009 11:18 PM

The reviewer of this film has way too much time on his hands!!! Brother Sun, Sister Moon made quite an impression on me when I first saw it at the age of 16. It spoke to my ideals of what Christianity is all about and still speaks to me. For years, I tried to get a soundtrack, but evidently one wasn't released. My favorite scene is in the restored church with the "common folk" bringing their offerings of livestock and grain. The movie is rated 4 stars. I didn't know how to rate this correctly.

George C.

Posted: May 05, 2009 8:43 PM

This is an extraordinarily powerful film. I am a born-again Christian and every time I watch this movie, there are scenes that make me cry like a baby. The conversion scene is extremely moving. Our conversions to Christianity are just as innocent and it reminds me that we as Christians need to be loving and caring for the needs of the poor and destitute. Francesco's child-like faith was his greatest virtue and I pray that I can have the same kind of faith.

rob jurriens

Posted: April 02, 2009 5:15 PM


one of the most moving and emotional films I have ever seen, certain scenes make me cry over and over again, for me it is a real masterpiece, sentimental or not!

Andrea Kaszas

Posted: April 02, 2009 3:54 PM


My favourite film.

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