The Flowers of St. Francis (1950)

The Flowers of St. Francis (1950). 1h 25m | Not Rated

“This is one of the most beautiful and humbling pictures I have seen. I discovered it recently along with three other Rossellinis, u0026quot;India Matre Bhumiu0026quot;, u0026quot;Fearu0026quot;, and u0026quot;Lu0026#39;Amoreu0026quot; – all masterworks. But so far based on the first viewing, u0026quot;Francesco, giullare di Diou0026quot; ranks with my absolute favorite Rossellini pictures, u0026quot;Europa u0026#39;51u0026quot; u0026amp; u0026quot;The Rise of Louis XIVu0026quot;. From the sublime opening long shot of Franciscans arriving in Assissi to the final unforgettable moment where they all spin and fall on the ground and Rosselliniu0026#39;s circular camera connects the earth, sky, and water in perfect harmony, u0026quot;Francescou0026quot; is an authentic, invigorating piece of art.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003enThe photography itself is a masterpiece; It has a harsh, genuine beauty and splendour: the scenes at the beginning where Franciscans are soaked in rain, or at daytime when they kiss one another and preach and start a fire, or scenes in which Brother G is brutally beaten or tortured by a tyrant, or at night time when Francesco encounters and kisses a leper are all magnificently shot.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eu0026quot;Francescou0026quot; is told in a series of disconnected vignettes, each documenting different daily events and experiences of the Franciscans. The vignettes are preceded by an introductory title (e.g. u0026quot;How Brother G Cut the Leg of a Pig for a Sick Brotheru0026quot;, u0026quot;How Francesco Met and Kissed a Leperu0026quot;, etc). Although it is explicitly a religious document of St. Francis and his followers set in a bygone era, the feelings and impressions that emanate from it are timeless and universal. u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eIt is the sort of picture that makes you feel alive or buoyant about life and humanity. u0026quot;Francescou0026quot; is one of my absolute favorite films, a truly humbling masterpiece from one of cinemau0026#39;s great film artists.”