The Little Flowers of St. Francis of Assisi

[Sliw]

I want to see this. My first problem is that I have to take off my historical head. This man is dressed in a modern Franciscan habit. That’s not what Francis and the early brothers wore. Nor did they have good hygiene either. This chap’s hair is properly cut, he’s clean shaven and has all of his teeth.

I wonder what people would say if we ever make a movie about the medieval and older saints and portray them dressed, unbathed and without good dental hygiene as they really were. Hmmm . . .

You mean St Francis and his brothers were not 1960’s hippie idealists?

Side note: Alec Guinness was and always will be Obi-Wan–even when portraying a pope.

 

[JReducation]

You mean St Francis and his brothers were not 1960’s hippie idealists?

Side note: Alec Guinness was and always will be Obi-Wan–even when portraying a pope.

Actually, this movie is well done. The problem is not the movie. The problem is the audience.

Zeffirelli made it very clear that his movies are paintings in film, not history books. Unfortunately, there are too many Catholics who have never grown past concrete thinking. If something is not historically accurate they can’t take it past that.

I may be one of them myself. I’m not a good art critic nor do I have good training in art appreciation other than a high school course and another as a college undergrad. I tend to look at movies about saints through historical lenses as well.

Brother Sun Sister Moon was easier, because I had the opportunity of being in the order when it was made. We got to preview it before the world did. When we did preview it, we were given a guide book by the company that explained the portraits from an artistic, not a historical, perspective. Had I not had that heads up, I would have felt the same as many people do. I probably would have said, “This is not real.”

But when looked at as a painting, I can say, “It captures the simplicity of Francis, his brotherly love, the intimacy between he and Clare, and distance of the Church from the world of its day.”

If you want to see a historical film on the Franciscan School. Go to YouTube and see Clare and Francis.

This version has the approval of the Franciscan Council of Major Superiors. Franciscan historians served as consultors and non-Franciscans were not allowed to touch the script before it went public.

Even this one, which is historically quite accurate, presents us with a Francis who is too handsome, too clean and a Clare who is a little older than she really was. She was an 18-year old girl. The actor who plays Francis is much older than Francis was when he began his journey. Francis was 27-years old.

Also, Clare’s role and power in the order is quite understated. The teenager who followed in the footsteps of St. Francis went on to become the matriarch of the Franciscan family. Many of our traditions are owed to her influence, such as the prohibition of Gregorian chant in our masses and the Liturgy of the Hours, the governance of women by women only (guys, hands off the women’s branch of the order), the freedom of our cloistered nuns and active sisters to dress according to their preference (yes she wrote this), the free standing altars, CITH and COTT simultaneously existing for each house to choose, the use of hymns in the vernacular during the mass, the audible canon of the mass, rather than the silent canon as is the custom by secular clergy. Sisters distributing communion to the sick sisters rather than allow the brothers into the cloister to do it, as is the custom in other cloistered orders of women. Finally, her ongoing dialogue with the popes over the rule of her order, which set the stage for women like Catherine of Siena, Teresa of Avila and Teresa of Calcutta later on. She has very practical reasons for all of this.

Even though the title includes her name. her story is almost a subplot. Don’t take my opinion to heart. I have no training in film either. The only training I have in film is which theater has the best buttered popcorn and the best nachos and cheese.

However, Pietro is well played in this movie. The man was not a monster as he is often presented in some movies and books. He was a typical middle class dad looking for upward mobility. The actress who plays Pica is not right for the part. Pica was French. This actress looks as Italian as ravioli.

Movie review of Clare and Francis

Br. Charles, OFM Cap is a member of my former community. Brother is an excellent Franciscan scholar. He has yet another take on this film. I will not say how much or how little he and I agree. That’s not important for the purpose of this post.

I thought that I’d try something novel by providing two points of view on a subject. Good gravy! I’m doing something novel in TC Forum.

 

[Sliw]

Actually, this movie is well done. The problem is not the movie. The problem is the audience.

Zeffirelli made it very clear that his movies are paintings in film, not history books. Unfortunately, there are too many Catholics who have never grown past concrete thinking. If something is not historically accurate they can’t take it past that.

I may be one of them myself. I’m not a good art critic nor do I have good training in art appreciation other than a high school course and another as a college undergrad. I tend to look at movies about saints through historical lenses as well.

Brother Sun Sister Moon was easier, because I had the opportunity of being in the order when it was made. We got to preview it before the world did. When we did preview it, we were given a guide book by the company that explained the portraits from an artistic, not a historical, perspective. Had I not had that heads up, I would have felt the same as many people do. I probably would have said, “This is not real.”

But when looked at as a painting, I can say, “It captures the simplicity of Francis, his brotherly love, the intimacy between he and Clare, and distance of the Church from the world of its day.”

Thank you for a refreshing take on this film. I had actually first seen it when we mentioned it during a Film and Christian Values course during my undergraduate studies (I cannot recall if it was nearly mentioned or if we did watch the whole thing). I may have to go back and watch it with this in mind. Looking for clips, I am struck with the similarity of the Vesting of the Bishop and the Holy Father and how the images capture the difference between the two individuals reaction to Francis. the Bishop is shot from below, meant to portray the Church’s seeming disapproval of Francis, whereas Pope Innocent III is minimized in a wider shot reflecting the power and influence of Francis’ charism. Or at least that is my take in the 15 seconds I watched.

Also, Clare’s role and power in the order is quite understated. The teenager who followed in the footsteps of St. Francis went on to become the matriarch of the Franciscan family. Many of our traditions are owed to her influence, such as the prohibition of Gregorian chant in our masses and the Liturgy of the Hours, the governance of women by women only (guys, hands off the women’s branch of the order), the freedom of our cloistered nuns and active sisters to dress according to their preference (yes she wrote this), the free standing altars, CITH and COTT simultaneously existing for each house to choose, the use of hymns in the vernacular during the mass, the audible canon of the mass, rather than the silent canon as is the custom by secular clergy. Sisters distributing communion to the sick sisters rather than allow the brothers into the cloister to do it, as is the custom in other cloistered orders of women. Finally, her ongoing dialogue with the popes over the rule of her order, which set the stage for women like Catherine of Siena, Teresa of Avila and Teresa of Calcutta later on. She has very practical reasons for all of this.

In reference to my emphasis here. Who is the subject in “our traditions”. The Order or the Church?

And also, regarding Gregorian Chant, again–do you mean specifically the order, or the current development of the Mass in the last 50 years?

However, Pietro is well played in this movie. The man was not a monster as he is often presented in some movies and books. He was a typical middle class dad looking for upward mobility. The actress who plays Pica is not right for the part. Pica was French. This actress looks as Italian as ravioli.

Re: Pietro
I can imagine, as a father (albeit a new one), that if one of my children rejected a traditional life and went out performing radical acts of charity and saying mystical things that sounded like nonsense, it would be very hard to wrap my head around. Look at the example of Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati–his parents had no idea about his charitable acts. I am curious about how they would have reacted.

 

[Luigi_Daniele]

Actually, this movie is well done. The problem is not the movie. The problem is the audience.

Zeffirelli made it very clear that his movies are paintings in film, not history books. Unfortunately, there are too many Catholics who have never grown past concrete thinking. If something is not historically accurate they can’t take it past that.

I may be one of them myself. I’m not a good art critic nor do I have good training in art appreciation other than a high school course and another as a college undergrad. I tend to look at movies about saints through historical lenses as well.

Brother Sun Sister Moon was easier, because I had the opportunity of being in the order when it was made. We got to preview it before the world did. When we did preview it, we were given a guide book by the company that explained the portraits from an artistic, not a historical, perspective. Had I not had that heads up, I would have felt the same as many people do. I probably would have said, “This is not real.”

But when looked at as a painting, I can say, “It captures the simplicity of Francis, his brotherly love, the intimacy between he and Clare, and distance of the Church from the world of its day.”

If you want to see a historical film on the Franciscan School. Go to YouTube and see Clare and Francis.

This version has the approval of the Franciscan Council of Major Superiors. Franciscan historians served as consultors and non-Franciscans were not allowed to touch the script before it went public.

Even this one, which is historically quite accurate, presents us with a Francis who is too handsome, too clean and a Clare who is a little older than she really was. She was an 18-year old girl. The actor who plays Francis is much older than Francis was when he began his journey. Francis was 27-years old.

Also, Clare’s role and power in the order is quite understated. The teenager who followed in the footsteps of St. Francis went on to become the matriarch of the Franciscan family. Many of our traditions are owed to her influence, such as the prohibition of Gregorian chant in our masses and the Liturgy of the Hours, the governance of women by women only (guys, hands off the women’s branch of the order), the freedom of our cloistered nuns and active sisters to dress according to their preference (yes she wrote this), the free standing altars, CITH and COTT simultaneously existing for each house to choose, the use of hymns in the vernacular during the mass, the audible canon of the mass, rather than the silent canon as is the custom by secular clergy. Sisters distributing communion to the sick sisters rather than allow the brothers into the cloister to do it, as is the custom in other cloistered orders of women. Finally, her ongoing dialogue with the popes over the rule of her order, which set the stage for women like Catherine of Siena, Teresa of Avila and Teresa of Calcutta later on. She has very practical reasons for all of this.

Even though the title includes her name. her story is almost a subplot. Don’t take my opinion to heart. I have no training in film either. The only training I have in film is which theater has the best buttered popcorn and the best nachos and cheese.

However, Pietro is well played in this movie. The man was not a monster as he is often presented in some movies and books. He was a typical middle class dad looking for upward mobility. The actress who plays Pica is not right for the part. Pica was French. This actress looks as Italian as ravioli.

Movie review of Clare and Francis

Br. Charles, OFM Cap is a member of my former community. Brother is an excellent Franciscan scholar. He has yet another take on this film. I will not say how much or how little he and I agree. That’s not important for the purpose of this post.

I thought that I’d try something novel by providing two points of view on a subject. Good gravy! I’m doing something novel in TC Forum.

Firstly, any friend of Fr Charles is a friend of mine

I think that more historians think Pica was Italian, rather than French. We’ll never know for sure, I guess.

 

[Luigi_Daniele]

One more point:

I may be swimming against the tide is saying so, but I believe that every thing described in the Fioretti really happened. Some of the details may have been embellished a bit, but I think the stories in general really happened.

I know, I know. But is it really so hard to believe that the man who is the arguably the second greatest Saint in Church history (after our Blessed Mother, of course) could have done all of these things? A modern saint, Padre Pio, certainly did his share of miraculous things; is it impossible to believe that Francesco did more?

I say no.

 

[JReducation]

The problem with the stories Luigi is that non of the early brothers remembered most of these stories. The few that the remembered, they remembered them not quite the same.

 

[Luigi_Daniele]

The problem with the stories Luigi is that non of the early brothers remembered most of these stories. The few that the remembered, they remembered them not quite the same.

Good point that, fratello. OK, I believe most of them

 

[JReducation]

This is one of the most beautiful theological writings in Franciscan tradition. It often makes me sad to know that the average layman does not understand it.

Zeferelli’s rendition of Brother Sun Sister Moon

The host asked Brother how much of does prayer influence his journey. Brother responds that the whole journey is prayer, because prayer is the breadth of the soul. Prayer is a constant conversation with God. The soul meets God in a given instance, but prayer keeps this dialogue open, alive and new. Life in God, life in Fraternity and all life is lived in prayer.