Francesco | 
 enlarge | Director: Liliana Cavani
Actors: Mickey Rourke, Helena Bonham Carter, Fabrizio Mastracchi Manes, Matteo Corsini, Romuald Andrzej Klos
Studio: Simitar Ent.
Category: DVD
List Price: $14.95
Buy New: $7.89
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Rating:  13 reviews
Sales Rank: 73470
Format: Ac-3, Color, Dvd-video, Full Screen, Ntsc
Language: English (Original Language)
Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Number Of Items: 1
Running Time: 119
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
DVD Layers: 1
DVD Sides: 1
Picture Format: Pan & Scan
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6
ISBN: 6304810792
UPC: 082551737826
EAN: 9786304810798
ASIN: 6304810792
Theatrical Release Date: 1989
Release Date: February 24, 1998
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: New; New DVD. Different artwork. Region 0 NTSC Full Screen Format. Canadian version. Special Features: Interactive Menu and Scene Index. Dolby Digital Sound. - BRAND NEW. In stock - ships immediately. FREE delivery confirmation. 100% satisfaction guarantee... To see our complete inventory of bargain priced products Click on the "% Positive" next to our 5 Star Rating above and then Click on the "1stVideo Storefront" link on the top left.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 8 more reviews...
 Is this a movie about God's Troubador? It takes it's place alongside other religious themed films missing the mark. December 25, 2008
Maybe this movie deserves 2 stars but seeing how it has been reviewed in too favorable a light, time to dock it properly. It barely even has it's moments, it lacks spirituality and it lacks depth. It's a hodgepodge of a script and takes its place of being either irreverent or being a misguided interpretation alongside The Last Temptation of Christ - Criterion Collection or The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arcin regards to religious themed movies; not meaning to be uncharitable but this movie certainly isn't in the first place.
It mainly lacks potential save for possibly if a different type of actor had played the title role of Francesco, that is St. Francis of Assisi say for example the actor who played Brother Rufino, Italian actor Paco Reconti would have been a more appropriate choice versus the muscular and tattooed holly wood badboy Mickey Rourke as pointed out in an essay by Steven D. Greydanus at the decentfilms.com website. Reconti is in fact, a slender figure in comparison and in the Franciscan robe, really could have appeared quite a bit in the way St. Francis did in portrayals we see of him, in fact, about as much as the actor we see in the Brother Sun, Sister Moon movie which seems to be a more accurate portrayal at that. Back when it was made, do some people say, Francis appears a bit like a flower child type? As far as I can see, that seems to be an accurate portrayal. St. Francis and the flower of the poems, the Fiorretti, in fact confirms this along with Francesco's pacifist nature, I mean he left the army, his love of animals and poetry.
I believe the war between the states of Perugia and Assisi could have been portrayed more authentically, in fact, I seriously question the mass burial scene early in the movie. The film is misleading, it talks of how the Brothers and order of St. Francis grew in the European nations in conversation but really, in this being so, this phenomenon is a miracle in itself. The miracles with which Francesco was involved in is given superficial treatment, do we see any evidence of how he got along with animals so harmoniously, even it being attributed to him that leopards would not attack him on his trip to Africa during the Crusade era? No, we don't even see Francis in Africa. Such that is not mentioned must be the thing of fairy tales we would seem to be led to believe. In fact, the only "miracle" portrayed in the film involves Francesco (St. Francis) receiving the stigmata but that seems to occur shortly before his death and it seems those around him are not totally sure of what has happened however in those instances, it does start to approach something resembling to the topic at hand being treated in a sacred way. I do however, acknowledge that the movie does seem to provide moving portrayals at times, of Francesco intermingling with those who are poverty stricken and to a lesser extent, with the lepers. Also, Helena Bonham Carter's portrayal of Chiara, St. Clair is earnest and in a more balanced film, clearly, she would be likewise, proper for that role. As it is, her role is well acted. In fact, much talent is to be found with this project, it was just not channeled in a positive way.
 A Must See Film May 27, 2005
16 out of 16 found this review helpful
For some inexplicable reason, I completely missed this 1989 film about St. Francis directed by Liliana Cavani. I didn't even know it existed until this week when I happily stumbled upon it and rented it, only to view it last night for the very first time. Neither did I ever notice that Francesco, starring Mickey Rourke and Helena Bonham Carter, is one of the fifteen films listed on the 1995 Vatican film list in the category of "Religion." And it was placed high on that list for a good reason. It is simply the best cinematic retelling of the story of St. Francis I have ever seen. This may be due to the wonderful cinematography, which oscillates between the sunlight and torchlight shadows of the middle ages, and it may be due to it's period authenticity and lack of over-acting which is the bane of so many films about the poverello.
Unlike Franco Zeffirelli's movie, "Brother Sun-Sister Moon", which makes St. Francis appear something like a 60's founder of a hippie commune, Cavani makes St. Francis more human, a young virile man grasped by, and growing into, the awareness of God ---and his poor--- without glossing over that grace which leads him from curiosity about God and about human suffering to a radical love for simplicity rooted in creation and the cross. That radical love issues in a desire to alleviate that suffering whenever possible through works of mercy, all depicted movingly in this film. When Francesco holds a bowl, there is food in it for the poor.
It was this love for creation which possessed Francesco, a creation which pointed Francesco straightway to the Creator who was otherwise blissfully untutored in the sometimes bewildering details of theology. His school was the cross of Jesus which, upon conversion, he hugs so profoundly in this film. And he knew the Beatitudes, unlike, alas, so many America First Catholics in this country today who seem to prefer war to the call to be peacemakers and to the admonitions of the popes. For such, the peacemaking of St. Francis must seem impractical, madness; something to explain away rather than imitate.
Francis loved voluntary poverty and detachment from the bondage of the love for material things. Possessing nothing, he would possess all and give all.
While there are the usual and true encounters with the monstrosities of some hypocritical church leaders of the time in this movie, even one burning at the stake which utterly repels the future saint, Cavani also shows the true willingness of Francesco's bishop to give him a chance to show that he was not simply another heresy-prone enthusiast which plagued the Church at the time. This film is far from a subtle polemic with subtexts againt the Church. Francis is indeed a reformer, but, true to history, his was the reforming of a son, of a lover of the Church, not that of a bitter revolutionary. Like a true reformer he was always reforming first himself, striving against "the lusts of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life," (1 Jn 2:15-17).
In my opinion the younger Mickey Rourke, something of a bad boy of American films, does a splendid job in this film. His portrayal is at once utterly convincing and charming. Helena Bonham Carter as Clare has the lesser role, but her devotion to the saint is clear. Her cherubic face and eyes lend an innocence to the event which they, together, were and are.
I was reminded once again that the friars life with its eschatological dimension is a sign not only of the Kingdom of Heaven, but a call for us laypersons here and now. A call to simplicity, to love of Christ's poor, to peacemaking and the stewardship of creation. And it is ever a reminder that theology must be made flesh, not merely talked or written about. Do see the film. ----Stephen Hand, TCRNews.com
Almost Perfect May 7, 2005
8 out of 8 found this review helpful
Being a longtime devotee of Saint Francis, I have read at least 10 biographies and seen the three most famous films about him. Francis of Assisi (1961) is a good introductory film, while Brother Sun Sister Moon (1973) was an adequate retelling of the story. In my mind, however, Francesco is the most historically accurate of the three. There is little of Hollywood or Flower Power in here. Francesco's struggles and rough faith journey is well presented. The names used for the main characters is in the old Italian, with Chiara used instead of Claire, Leoni instead of Leo, among others.
Good points: Vangelis' masterful score lends a tangible atmosphere of spiritual struggle. Helena Bonham Carter's Portayal of St. Claire, or Chiara, was insipiring and memorable. I named my daughter Chiara as a result. The supporting characters, especially Pietro Catani and Leoni, were magnificent.
Bad points: Unfortunately, this movie couldn't be perfect. The one fly in the ointment for me was Mickey Rourke. At times, especially in scenes involving lepers, he truly captures the character of the saint. Most of the time, however, he just seems to me to be rattling off memorized lines.
Another point worth noting is that the miraculous events of Francis' life were minimized. No talking crucifixes or any of that here. Only the stigmata. But what an impact that scene makes!
I've seen two versions of this movie. One was from a Japanese laserdisc and another was the VHS version. It appears that scenes were rearranged for the VHS version, and I suppose that this accounts for the "disjointedness" that many other reviews mention. The Japanese laserdisc version I saw had a much more coherent scene arrangement.
Still, I give this 5 stars.
Inspiring, thoughtful, beautiful film January 23, 2004
10 out of 10 found this review helpful
I picked up this film while researching the life of St. Francis of Assisi. Of the several films I've seen on his life, this is the best by far. I was not familiar with Mickey Rourke or his career, but it didn't take me long to realize that he is a very gifted actor. His portrayal of St. Francis was sensitive, contolled, subtle, but when the moment called for action, he was prepared and delivered. The film as a whole was magnificent -a true example of ensemble acting at its finest. One really got the nitty-gritty feeling of life in the 12th century, just as Europe was coming out of the Dark Ages and there was an explosion of change. G. K. Chesterton's book on the saint covers this in more detail.St. Francis and his little band of followers never intended to begin a world-wide movement of a monastic order, and his confusion, disappointment, and frustration at the response to his "rule" was palpable and heartbreaking. Each of the young men in the original group were as diverse as could be, yet they were all brought together under the loving care and friendship of Francis. The humor and antics balanced their rather grim existence and made them all the more human. There were moments of intense sadness, but also joy. Chiara's enigmatic smile at the end I will leave to your own interpretation. It was a superb touch to the ending of a stunning film.
A Much Maligned Masterpiece December 12, 2003
9 out of 11 found this review helpful
Francesco is one of my three favorite Mickey Rourke films, along with Year of the Dragon and Angel Heart. People tend to malign it for one of the following reasons: 1) they hate Mickey Rourke 2) they don't like the Christian themes 3) they like the Christian themes but are upset by the nudity 4) they don't like the way the film ends.
Regarding the Rourke haters, I feel they simply have no class. Mickey Rourke's career followed much the same path as Errol Flynn's, which is reason to malign him personally but not his work. Rourke in his heyday had a charisma and screen personality that rivaled Valentino, Flynn, or Bogart. Regarding the anti-Christians, you don't have to be a believer to enjoy the story of a remarkable man. As for the prudists, the nudity is brief and natural, nothing tasteless. Finally, as for the ending, in real life people who later were "sainted" (like Francesco d'Asisi) or "deified" (like Jesus) did not get carried away by angels. They experienced failures and then they died, often miserably and alone, just like everyone else. This film presented that cold reality much like it probably happened; that is precisely what makes it so poignant and relevant.
Francesco is an Italian film directed by Liliana Cavani. Rourke is American and co-star Helena Bonhan-Carter is English, but the rest of the cast is Italian save for the clerics who are primarily German actors. Italians have a long history of creating dubbed films (La Strada, A Fistfull of Dollars, etc) and so a dubbed version for Italian consumption was certainly released on the continent (no dubbing is evident on the English version here). The soundtrack is by Vangelis. The newer released version of the DVD currently in circulation has different artwork, is presented only in fullscreen, and has no captions or special features to speak of. But it's the only version available as of this writing so well worth the asking price.
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