Well done BUT not the best film about Saint Francis!

I have seen all movies about Saint Francis of Assisi and here is my hierarchy from the best to the weakest:

1. BROTHER SUN SISTER MOON (1972) by Franco Zeffirelli
2. FRANCIS OF ASSISI (1961) by Michael Curtiz
3. FRANCESCO (2002) by Michele Soavi
4. FRANCESCO GIULLARE DI DIO (1950) by Roberto Rossellini
5. FRANCESCO (1989) by Liliana Cavani
6. FRANCESCO D'ASSISI (1966) by Liliana Cavani

BROTHER SUN SISTER MOON is not only the most artistic, but it presents the figure of Saint Francis in the most memorable way. Zeffirelli does not concentrate on the biography but rather a reference to the 1970s stressing Francesco's purity, love to nature, anti materialism, and of course the joy of youth, the everlasting youth of the life with Jesus.

FRANCIS OF ASSISI is a very well made biography of saint Francis, some scenes are really beautifully done, BUT it highly simplifies some facts from Francesco's life. As a result, it does not serve a purpose of biography so well and becomes "an introduction" to get to know the saint better. It encourages the viewer to take a biographical book and read. A great thing about this movie is that it is the only film so far that showed Francis' crusade to Jerusalem and his visit at the sultan. Except for that, there are really a lot of very well made scenes.

FRANCESCO by Michele Soavi is partly a biography and partly an artistic film. But as a matter of fact, you don't get much new from this film. Its strong sides, however, are good cast and some originality in presenting some facts from Francis' life.

FRANCESCO GIULLARE DI DIO concentrates on the most narrow aspect of Francis' life. To see the movie, you have to have more knowledge about the Saint. It shows how Francis and his brethren prepare for spreading the Gospel in the world. The old filming convention and black and white may discourage some people to see it. Nevertheless, it is a good film for people interested in the film image of Francesco.

FRANCESCO by Liliana Cavani does not bring anything beautiful to the vision of Saint Francis, but rather spoils much. Mickey Rourke is not good in the role of Francesco, the film is a total opposite of BROTHER SUN SISTER MOON being the most gloomy depiction of his life. The emphasis is drawn to poverty, sadness, sometimes grief. The only strong point is the final shot when Francis gets STIGMATA, the Lord's Holy Wounds and in spite of his sorrow and pain, he starts to love everyhting that he surveys in a more intense way.

Franco Zeffirelli is filming right now a sequel to BROTHER SUN SISTER MOON that he titles TRE FRATELLI. Hopefully, this film is going to be as good as BROTHER SUN concentrating on Francesco's ecumenical visit to the Holy Land.

Michael Curtiz movie shows the most touching and symbolic moment from Francesco's life. A begger comes to him and asks for a gift:

NOT THE FINANCIAL GIFT BUT A GIFT FROM THE HEART
LOVE FOR THOSE WHO HAVE NO LOVE
PEACE FOR THOSE WHO HAVE NO PEACE
PAX ET BONUM

The only film that stresses this slogan, so significant in Franciscan Order, the very heart of Saint Francis.