For this bubblegum biography of Saint Francis of Assisi, director Franco Zeffirelli wears his heart on his sleeve, but his head is full of flowers, butterflies and birdsong, enough to turn even the most stubborn romantic into a hardened cynic. Pandering shamelessly to the wide-eyed innocence of an audience just then learning how to make love and not war, Zeffirelli presents the young Saint-to-be, somewhat anachronistically, as the world's first counter-culture dropout. In the same late '60s spirit most of the film leans toward unforgivably trite platitudes: witness the ludicrous scene between Francis and a tearful Pope Innocent III, played by Alec Guinness like he was anticipating his future role as Obi Wan Kenobi. Fortunately the director's eye for imagery is stronger than his ear for dialogue (or music: nothing dates the film more than the Donovan guitar ballads on the soundtrack). The best antidote for anyone watching the film at home would be to simply mute the volume and enjoy the scenery.
Review of Brother Sun, Sister Moon
