St. Francis
by Michele Soavi
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Actor: Amélie Daure, Claudio Gioè, Gianmarco Tognazzi, Paolo Briguglia, Raoul BovaDirector: Michele Soavi
Brand: Ryko Distribution
Cinematographer: Giovanni Mammolotti
Writer: Michele Soavi
Producer: Pietro Valsecchi
Writer: Pietro Valsecchi
Writer: Giacomo Scarpelli
Writer: Leonardo Fasoli
Writer: Salvatore De Mola
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Subtitled); Italian (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono
Format: Color, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.66:1
Running Time: 192 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2006-05-30
Audience Rating: Unrated
Studio: Noshame
DVD Reviews of St. Francis
DVD Review: A Valiant Effort, but it misses the mark.
Summary: 2 Stars
Michele Soavi enjoys international cult-status as the maker of avant-garde horror films, and as such, his fans will not be disappointed with "Saint Francis." The first half of this movie's cup overflows with sinister characters, protracted violence, on-camera torture, and endless journeys through frightening dwellings and landscapes.
That said, he made an admirable attempt to depict a "muscular" Christianity and present Francis's life without pastel colors. It had to be done and he did it. But, while this film is an artistically lush period piece and is conceptually intriguing, the realization is disappointing. The plot is somewhat muddled, the script doesn't justify its three and one-half hour length, and the characters are unremittingly stern---whereas, the hallmark of St. Francis was joy. (According to witnesses, he bore his year in prison "with cheerfulness and good temper." A better interpretation of the saint's troubadour-like personality is the father's character in the Italian film "Life is Beautiful.")
Additionally, Soavi's portrayal of Francis' relationship with the Catholic Church is slightly skewed and incomplete.
Saint Francis was a reformer, not a rebel.
In Soavi's interpretation, Saint Francis appears as a precursor to Luther; that is, Christianity should be "sola scriptura." Add to that '"sola" nature' and '"sola"poverty' and you have the plot of this film in a nutshell. The Franciscan ideal does contain the Gospels, nature, and poverty, but it contains much more; obedience being high on the list. Saint Francis' faith was never at odds with the faith of the Catholic Church.
Furthermore, belief that the Church did not allow men and women to read the Gospels in their native language is an erroneous belief, but it is widespread and one need not be anti-Catholic to hold it. This theme in the movie's plot is historically inaccurate. (What the Church guarded against were "Gospels" written in the vernacular that contained error. For those who are interested, Mario Derksen (Catholic Insight) in his essay, "Did the Catholic Church Try to Keep the Bible From the Laity?" uses modern and historical sources to argue that the Church was concerned with mis-translations, not translations.)
For many good reasons Michele Soavi's film will (or, will not) resonate with viewers, but for an accurate picture of Saint Francis and Saint Clare one would do well to get a good biography. (G.K.Chesterton's "Saint Francis of Assisi," is a start.)
More St. Francis reviews:
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Description of St. Francis
Raoul Bova (UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN) stars as Francesco Bernardone, the son of a cloth merchant in 12th Century Italy whose humility, piety and charitable works would see him canonized as the beloved St. Francis of Assisi, patron saint of animals. A change of pace for thriller filmmaker Michele Soavi (CEMETERY MAN, UNO BIANCA), ST. FRANCIS retells the popular story of Francis? youth as a soldier for Pope Innocent III who one day heard the voice of God and chose to forsake a life of material wealth to devote himself to God and all living things. Filmed in the very locations where history was made, ST. FRANCIS also stars Erica Blanc (aka Erika Blanc of THE DEVIL?S NIGHTMARE) and David Brandon (GOOD MORNING, BABYLON).Bestsellers in DVD
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