Brother Sun, Sister Moon”: A cinematic paean to nature

It's easy to be cynical. Easy to bisect and trisect a movie till the film experience is completely lost. There's bound to a lot of flak reserved for a film like “Brother Sun, Sister Moon”. For one, director Franco Zeffirelli, (known for his beautifully crafted “Romeo and Juliet”) gives simplistic treatment to an otherwise complex subject. For another, the storyline seems more a hagiography than an objective picture of the early life of preacher St Francis of Assisi.
Having said that, it is impossible to remain unmoved by the film, “Brother Sun, Sister Moon”. Here you have a portrait of a young man in love with nature -- the lush fields, the birds, flowers, trees, all set against the romantic musical score of Donovan, the famous Scottish singer and songwriter.
And there are many scenes which linger on in the memory: The young Francis or Francesco
as he was known, coming face to face with the misery and exploitation of the working class; renouncing his family name and stripping bare before the bishop and the townspeople as he sets out without a stitch on his back to preach the language of joy, hope and tolerance. Or the beautiful Claire who regardless of her gender decides to join the barefoot brothers.
Credit must go to the cast who slip into their roles with ease. Graham Faulkner plays Francesco to perfection, though Alec Guinness as Pope Innocent III in the opulent surroundings of the Vatican in Rome is not altogether convincing when in a sudden change of heart, he prostrates before Francesco and kisses his feet. Judi Bowker as Claire steals many hearts. However, the character was not adequately fleshed out and even though she is shown looking after the lepers in the community, one fails to comprehend why she suddenly wants to embrace the new order represented by Francesco.
The film ends on a note of hope. Francesco returns from Rome and the camera follows him as he sings the haunting “Brother Sun, Sister Moon”, a paean to nature and the Divine.