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The film culminates, visually and thematically, with Francis's audience with Pope Innocent III in Rome. The grey-habited monks enter a scene of impossible majesty and splendor, the papal court arrayed on either side of the massive hall in sumptuous colored garments, the mile-high ceiling sparkling with jewels set in gold. In the film's most stunning moment we see lavishly tiled steps, the perspective flattened to create the effect of an intricately tiled wall, down which the pope descends, clad in white, as if from heaven. "Is it not possible, Holy Father, to live according to the teachings of our Lord? Or have we sinned through presumption? If that be the case, then we would like your Holiness to tell us of our errors." The pope replies: "My dearest son, errors will be forgiven. In our obsession with original sin we too often forget original innocence. Don't let that happen to you. … We are encrusted with riches and power. You in your poverty put us to shame."

It is a deeply moving scene, a culmination of all that has led us here. It's by far the strongest dialogue of the entire film—note the subtlety of the pope's reference to innocence—and the performance by veteran actor Alec Guinness is flawless, timeless, more than compensating for whatever we find lacking in other performances.

The most serious problem with this film is its softness, that sentimentality Zeffirelli is often accused of. Where are the stigmata? Where are the exhaustion, disease, despair that poverty, even intentional poverty, brings, even to saints? Where is the aging St. Francis, betrayed by his successors? Not in this film. (If you want those darker colors, try Liliana Cavani's 1989 film Francesco, which is on the Vatican's list of spiritually significant films.)

Still, there is something right in making a simple film about a man whose life was all about simplicity. I almost wonder if this film might have the potential to be more challenging in 2004 than it was three decades ago, when Francis's radical rejection of wealth and privilege may have seemed indistinguishable from the taken-for-granted cultural cliché . Arguably, audiences at the time had become immune to this kind of talk, inoculated by over-exposure.

In our time, the first response to a film is far less sympathetic; we condescend to its naïveté,and are inclined to dismiss it as superficial and simplistic. But I wonder what kind of qualms we might be in for when we realize that, at a certain point, these are Christ's own words we're condescending to.

It's hard to discern where the sentimental wishful thinking of a younger time leaves off, and the hard realities of a still more ancient gospel begin. If this film doesn't quite manage to achieve all it sets out to accomplish, perhaps at least it may cause us to wrestle with some important things—to hold our knowing pragmatism up against the impracticalities of the youthful idealism of Zeffirelli's decade, or maybe even the holy folly of St. Francis's century. Or maybe even the radical gospel of Jesus, no more or less appropriate in our time than it was in his.

This disk is Franciscan in its simplicity. No commentary track, no theatrical trailers, just a great-looking transfer of a very pretty movie.

Talk About It

1. St. Francis often quotes the words of Jesus, especially passages about wealth and sacrifice (Matthew 6:19-21,24-33 ; Matthew 19:29 ). What other Scriptures are cited in the film? How do they apply in your own life?
   
   
2. Some say the film portrays Francis as a 12th-century hippie. What do you think? What motivates Francesco to give up the wealth and power of his family?
   
   
3. Giocondo fears he won't be able to keep the vow of chastity, saying repeatedly, "God forgive me, a miserable sinner," adding that he'd "gladly face eternal damnation for one moment of love." How would you have responded? How does Francis respond?
   
   
4. Various characters have a change of heart toward Francis, including several of his companions and two of the churchmen he comes in contact with. Are these "conversions" convincing?
   
   

The Family Corner

The film is rated PG, probably because of a scene involving non-sexual nudity, in which Francis makes a break with his past by stripping off his fine clothes and walking naked through the town square. The scene is historical, and is rendered tastefully.

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