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12 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
This movie was filmed mainly on location in Assisi with Bradford Dillman in the staring role of Francis of Assisi and Dolores Hart, who would leave a promising film career to become a consecrated member of the Benedictine Order, who played Sister Claire(Clara & Clare are other spellings). Though with none of the modern cinematography of later films this one stands out for its encompassing of the entire life of Saint Francis of Assisi with no added commentary or interpretation on what Saint Francis may have been thinking.
Mr. Dillman plays Francis as the pious humble man we have come to learn the Saint was and the now Mother Dolores delivered a marvelous interpretation of the ever loving gentle Saint Claire dedicated to God. Despite the Hollywood influence on this movie it still happens to be truly inspirational.
The film also shows in the background in unspectacular low budget Hollywood fashion the ugliness of war and though not all historically accurate it is the closes biography on film I have seen. The film depicts the Saracens that Francis meets as noble and fair-minded but the crusaders as debauched drunkards. While in fact the Saracens, where cruel men who made sure that no Christian would be able to travel in safety or could escape being killed. But they took Francis and his men prisoners, they were beaten and bound and then led before the Sultan. The movie just shows Francis being taken as prisoner and presented to the Sultan.
The movie does show the good reception that was given Francis once his faith and devotion was shown, but it fails to show how later the Sultan Malik-al-Kamil generously granted permission to him and to his companions to go anywhere and freely preach wherever they wished in all his empire. And on his death bed the Sultan converted to the Catholic Faith.
Within the aforementioned backdrop of the crusades and warfare we are shown the the difference between human and divine love shown by Francis and his friend the crusading knight played by Stuart Whitman. And with all the temptations from the outside world and the betrayal of some from within the order Francis founded he stays true to the calling of God that he answered for the rest of life. This is a wonderful introduction to life of Saint Francis despite the script and direction.
Mr. Dillman plays Francis as the pious humble man we have come to learn the Saint was and the now Mother Dolores delivered a marvelous interpretation of the ever loving gentle Saint Claire dedicated to God. Despite the Hollywood influence on this movie it still happens to be truly inspirational.
The film also shows in the background in unspectacular low budget Hollywood fashion the ugliness of war and though not all historically accurate it is the closes biography on film I have seen. The film depicts the Saracens that Francis meets as noble and fair-minded but the crusaders as debauched drunkards. While in fact the Saracens, where cruel men who made sure that no Christian would be able to travel in safety or could escape being killed. But they took Francis and his men prisoners, they were beaten and bound and then led before the Sultan. The movie just shows Francis being taken as prisoner and presented to the Sultan.
The movie does show the good reception that was given Francis once his faith and devotion was shown, but it fails to show how later the Sultan Malik-al-Kamil generously granted permission to him and to his companions to go anywhere and freely preach wherever they wished in all his empire. And on his death bed the Sultan converted to the Catholic Faith.
Within the aforementioned backdrop of the crusades and warfare we are shown the the difference between human and divine love shown by Francis and his friend the crusading knight played by Stuart Whitman. And with all the temptations from the outside world and the betrayal of some from within the order Francis founded he stays true to the calling of God that he answered for the rest of life. This is a wonderful introduction to life of Saint Francis despite the script and direction.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
1961's Francis of Assisi is more a coloring book than a movie, a horribly miscast, painfully bland and often extremely badly written trudge through the saint's life that goes out of its way not to offend anyone but simply bores instead. The locations may be Italian but the aesthetic is pure Hollywood, and Hollywood at its least convincing: Francis' and his followers' march to Rome is filmed like something out of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs as they hum along to Mario Nascimbene's score and Bradford Dillman charms the birds out of the trees. You almost expect to hear them sing Heigh Ho, Heigh Ho, It's Off to Rome We Go or "Zip-adee doo dah, Zipo-adee ay/It's fun to worship in the Franciscan way." Dillman gives a superficial but inoffensive performance as Francis (inoffensive being the watchword here), often looking like Charlton Heston's undernourished younger brother, Stuart Whitman struggles and loses in almost every scene as Francis' brash aristocratic war-loving friend while Dolores Hart is no more convincing as Clare, which is particularly strange considering that in real life the actress went on to become a nun herself. Cecil Kelloway and Finlay Currie bring some old school professionalism to their small roles, but not enough to give the film much in the way of color, while Pedro Armendariz's casting as the Sultan inadvertently only highlights how weak the material he has to work with really is. Francis' failed mission to the Holy Land and the breakup of his order are covered in passing, but even they fail to bring any drama to the proceedings, while director Michael Curtiz brings nothing to the party, his old panache presumably having run off with Errol Flynn. It's a rare epic that leaves me with little to say in its favor, but this is certainly one.
The only extra is the theatrical trailer.
The only extra is the theatrical trailer.
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
I had'nt realy heard of this movie before i see it was a new studio classic dvd coming out i snapped it up straight away and wow what a brilliant film im sure its histroicaly acurete realy is a great film best viewed on a sunday afternoon wont give to muc habout the film away but realy is good strong stroy,strong acting a must have for religious epic fans
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
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Old movies like old books have a certain charm about them, but can be hard to get into sometimes. The acting, the story line, the scenes etc all look strange to most of us, yet... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Dave Kinsella
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Published 3 months ago by john
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I did not know much about the life of St Francis and wow! this film has been so inspirational. I highly recommend it.
Published 8 months ago by Josephine
Subtle condemnation of the medieval church
Yes, the previous critics have made accurate summations of the deficiencies of this biography.
This is indeed a low budget, indifferently-acted and at-first-sight superficial... Read more
This is indeed a low budget, indifferently-acted and at-first-sight superficial... Read more
Published 18 months ago by Sid J. Whitworth
Rekigious Tripe
This particular movie was a waste of
time.
No body, no structure but Bradford Dillman
did his best with the script- it did nothing
to show this man as one of... Read more
time.
No body, no structure but Bradford Dillman
did his best with the script- it did nothing
to show this man as one of... Read more
Published on 10 Feb 2010 by L. F. Cook
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This DVD is as close as you can get on the story of Saint Francis of Assissi. The quality of the DVD and acting are good.
Published on 17 May 2009 by Siew Lin Lim
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Old-fashioned film but still tells the struggle related to St. Francis life and very well acted by Bradford Dillman who reminds me of Charlton Heston, which may explain why he is... Read more
Published on 16 May 2009 by C. G. Gulliford
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I had'nt realy heard of this movie before i see it was a new studio classic dvd coming out i snapped it up straight away and wow what a brilliant film im sure its histroicaly... Read more
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