Francis of Assisi

Year:  1961

Filming:  Color

Length:  105 minutes

Genre:  Biography/Drama/Inspirational/Religious

Maturity:  PG (for intense thematic elements)

Cast:  Bradford Dillman (Francis Bernadone), Delores Hart (Clare), Stuart Whitman (Count Paolo of Vandria), Finlay Currie (Pope Innocent III), Mervyn Johns (Brother Juniper), Russell Napier (Brother Elias), Cecil Kellaway (Cardinal Hugolino), John Welsh (Canon Cattanei)

         

Director:  Michael Curtiz

Personal Rating:  5 Stars

***

    As you all must know by know, I have a particular soft spot in my heart for religious epics from yesteryear. Now that we have a pope who bears the name of Francis, it’s only natural that the public should have an increased interest in the nature-loving saint from Assisi who they are vaguely familiar with through garden saints and book marker prayers. To begin the journey towards of deeper understanding of St. Francis, I would say that the following film is a must-watch-classic that brings him to life with a perfect balance of gentility and passion.

    Bradford Dillman stars as Francis Bernadone, the high-spirited son of an Italian merchant who indulgences in the various pleasures of life in the medieval town of Assisi. With the world at his feet, he marches off in armor and chain mail to fight in a conflict between the city states. He also befriends Count Paolo of Vandria, a dashing Italian noble who takes the young man under his wing as they both embark as brothers-in-arms. But Francis is haunted by strange voices, urging him to abandon his worldly lifestyle and embrace a higher calling God has planned for him. To his father’s dismay, he deserts the army and is thrown into prison as a result. His pious mother, however, understands the workings of his soul and prays for her son’s speedy release.

    Paolo is disillusioned by his friend’s perceived cowardice, but the beautiful noblewoman Clare persuades him to show mercy and use his position to pardon Francis. Paolo does so, but with the understanding that he hopes to win Clare’s hand in marriage. But she, like her childhood friend Francis, is being stirred by a deeper calling. After he is released, Francis cannot return to his former life and feels uncertain how best to proceed until he has a mystical experience at the dilapidated Church of San Domiano. There he hears a voice coming from the crucifix, instructing him to “rebuild my Church which is falling into ruin.”

    Taking this literally, Francis takes to the streets in a simple robe and sandals, begging for stones to rebuild San Domiano. While many of Assisi’s prominent citizens dismiss him as a lunatic, he begins to draw a following among those who seek to live the rule of total poverty in the spirit and service of Christ. Soon, his “brotherhood” grows to the number of 12, and they journey to Rome to have the Rule of their new order approved by Pope Innocent III. They are almost turned away because the strictness of the Rule, but then the Pope recalls a dream he had, in which Francis upheld the pillars of the Basilica of St. Peter which were crumbling. He takes this as a sign for God, and approves the Franciscan Order.

    Meanwhile, Clare makes a decision of her own to join the Franciscan order as a nun, much to the distaste of both her father and Paolo, who has received her father’s approval to marry her, whether she is willing or not. Nevertheless, she escapes with the help Francis and takes her vows. When Paolo breaks into the church, she shows him that her long golden hair has been cut, and calmly walks away from him. She goes on to be the foundress of the Franciscan Sisterhood. While the order grows in Italy, Francis journeys to the Holy Land in hopes of bringing peace to war-torn Palestine by converting the Sultan.

    But a series of disheartening events beset him, and he must return to Europe empty-handed. To make matters worse, one Brother Elias has been planning to relax the Rule of the Order, and Francis must learn to curb his own pride and take a back seat as the changes go on beyond his control. Suffering from extended illnesses and blindness, Francis retreats to a cave where he once again waits for a sign from God. It comes in the form of the stigmata, which will forever mark him with the Wounds of Christ.

    Francis of Assisi combines epic story-telling with profound spiritual depth. The on-location footage shot in Italy is wonderful, as is the colorful medieval costuming reminiscent of Italian pageants that continue to this day, bringing to life all the fierce local pride that characterized the city states of the Middle Ages. I’ve heard some people accuse this film of being too Arthurian or “Disney-land-ish” in feel, and failing to achieve gritty realism. But I felt the color and gaiety shown as the men march off to war was in keeping with the pomp and ceremony surrounding local Italian pageantry, and making it clear why Francis would tantalized by the glories of the battlefield.

    Bradford Dillman does an excellent job portraying Francis, from his colorful youth to the darkness enveloping his old age. I particularly appreciate the scenes showing Francis searching his soul, such as when a beggar repeatedly approaches him with the words “Pax et Bonum”, only to vanish from sight as a procession holding aloft a crucifix comes into view. Another one of the deeply spell-binding sequences is when Francis receives his stigmata. It is telling that Dillman refused to smoke while in his Franciscan garb out of respect for the saint he was portraying, showing his own willingness to put his all into the production. However, he was more than happy to have Dolores Hart light him a cigarette on set while he was in his chivalric attire…and even have the photo man capture the moment on camera!

    Delores Hart has a particularly resonant voice and elegant beauty that makes her a perfect Clare. Interestingly, the actress herself eventually became a nun, and is today Mother Dolores Hart! I must say that the delivery of her lines sounded rather stinted at times, but nothing really serious to complain about. Overall, I thought the acting in this film was very well done. Again, I’ve heard some people accuse it of not being “dynamic” enough, but frankly, I don’t think it’s fair to accuse laid-back of some failure merely because they choose a different style of acting.

   

    I personally love the tender and charming moments in this movie, including Francis’ repartee with the animals, blessing the children’s pets, charming birds from the trees, and even making friends with some very hungry-looking cheetahs! Also, who can help but love the child-like innocence of Brother Juniper, played by Mervyn Johns? Another one of my favorite parts is when Francis and his brothers walk to Rome to ask for the Pope’s blessing on their new order, singing hymns of praise as they go. Then when they reach the gates, Francis miraculously manages to walk into the Vatican unopposed during the changing of the guard!

    And I’m going to enthuse about Finlay Currie again: he’s such a great character actor, and I think he makes a great “Papa” of the Church, whether he be St. Peter in Quo Vadis or Innocent III in Francis of Assisi. Of course we’re pretty sure that these historical characters didn’t really have Scottish accents (more like Hebrew and Italian!), but who’s gonna have the gall to complain about that? Finlay’s lilt is too wonderfully musical to listen to! I’ll also take the time mention here that the Catholic Church and Catholics in general are portrayed very well, with reverence and sympathy, but not hiding the flaws either. We see opulence in the Church hierarchy, collusion among the Franciscan Brotherhood, and an unreasonable streak in Francis himself when the letter of the law proves unlivable for his growing Order.

    We also see the dark side of the Crusaders-gone-wild (not romanticized at all really), and are allowed a sympathetic view of the Sultan Saladin who spares Francis’s life. I find their dialogue quite intriguing, allowing Francis to approach the Sultan in the name of love as an emissary of the God of Love, and willingly offers to prove the reality of his God by walking through a fire pit. Saladin is deeply impressed, and comments that although he has not made a convert, he has made a friend. Francis responds that that is the first step.

    Stuart Whitman is totally memorable in his role as the fictional Count Paolo of Vandria. Arrogant, hot-headed, courageous, and impulsive, he’s a great contrast the wistful, contemplative Francis, both as his friend and later rival. One cannot help but feel sorry for Paolo who is so caught up with his own emotions that he fails to take Clare’s feelings into consideration, nor even respect her spiritual quest. Her rejection of his advances wounds him deeply, and turns him into an embittered, and deeply hateful man, chasing after “booty and beauty” as a disillusioned crusader. While in the Holy Land, he happens to run into Francis (just chalk it up to coincidental screen-play-writer intervention!) where he disparages him as a sanctimonious hypocrite who failed to convert the Sultan or keep his Order living by the strict Rule of Poverty.

   In the end, he does make something of a come-back at Francis’ deathbed, but I'm afraid (to my eternal frustration) that Francis fails to give him as warm a reception as I might have hoped! He does mutter something like, “May God grant you His peace”, but that sounded way too distant for all they had gone through together. Can’t help but be reminded of the chilly way Moses treated Nefretiri in The Ten Commandments…and she wasn’t even being particularly repentant, but rather trying to get him to have an affair with her! But aside from this, I found Francis’ deathbed sequence moving, especially when Clare bids him a final farewell after his death, blessing him with the greeting that turned his heart to God so long ago: “Pax et Bonum.”

    So my summation: Francis of Assisi is a gentle, clean, deeply moving classic. I personally think the modern obsession with “grit” in period pieces is just another fad that will pass by, leaving movies like this behind to be enjoyed by all ages. Accuse me of being an incorrigible nerd; I like old-fashioned religious flicks! In fact, I LOVE old-fashioned religious flicks! While some may claim they lack “realism”, I return to challenge, and say that many modern attempts at religious epics are often sorry affairs, bereft with bad attitudes, 1990’s hair-dos, an unnecessary emphasis on guts and grime, and pathetic method acting! There, I feel calmer now. Now I’m ready to say the Prayer of St. Francis (that he evidently didn’t really write, but who cares?!): Lord, make me an instrument of your peace…;-)

Clare (Dolores Hart) is received into the Franciscan Order by Francis (Bradford Dillman)

A Man for All Seasons

 

Year:  1966

Filming:  Color

Length:  120 minutes

Genre:  Biography/Drama/Inspirational/Political/Religious

Maturity:  PG (for brief language and intense thematic elements)

Cast:  Paul Scofield (Sir Thomas More), Robert Shaw (King Henry VIII), Wendy Hiller (Alice More), Susannah York (Margaret More Roper), Leo McKern (Thomas Cromwell), John Hurt (Richard Rich), Orson Welles (Cardinal Wolsey), Nigel Davenport (The Duke of Norfolk)

Director:  Fred Zinnemann  

Personal Rating:  5 Stars

***

      If I had to pick my favorite movie of all time, it would have to be A Man for All Seasons. As one of the only movies to make a Catholic English Martyr its main focus, it will always hold a special place in my Anglophile heart. But beyond that, I believe the film is true to its title and subject by being relatable to all people and applicable to all seasons.

    Paul Scofield stars as Sir Thomas More, an honorable man caught in the grip of religious and political upheaval in Tudor England. A political figure and personal friend of King Henry VIII, his future advancement seems likely even as he enjoys a quiet life with his wife and daughter at his country estate in Chelsea. However, dark clouds loom on the horizon when the king takes it upon himself to divorce his wife, Catherine of Aragon, and marry his mistress, Anne Boleyn, on a “point of conscience.”

    Pressured to support the move by the corrupt Cardinal Wolsey, the devoutly Catholic More maintains that annulments are a matter for the Holy See, but his refusal to speak for or against the proceedings sparks the anger of the irascible king. Nevertheless, Sir Thomas is appointed Lord Chancellor of England, making his position more precarious than ever. When King Henry visits More at Chelsea, he once again tries to force him to make a statement about the divorce which results in a bitter show-down between the two men.

   When the pope definitively refuses to grant an annulment for the king, Henry breaks ties with Rome and declares himself to be Head of the Church of England. More, in turn, resigns his commission as Lord Chancellor, and he and his family adjust to a life of more limited means. But when the Oath of Supremacy acknowledging the king as Head of the Church is made mandatory, More refuses to sign it. As a result, he is thrown into the Tower of London.

    Using all his legal knowledge and pristine wit, he attempts to avert his fate while still keeping the faith, refusing to reveal his true opinions to anyone and maintaining his right to remain silent. When repeated interrogations from the peers of the realm fail to shake his resolve, his family is recruited to sway him, and a deeply emotional encounter takes place in prison. In spite of this, More holds fast to his convictions, which sets him on the bitter path of mock trial and martyrdom.

   In true British fashion, the style of this film is dry yet potent, full of both amusing wit and emotional depth. The camera techniques and visuals also aim for an almost stark depiction of the past which seemingly manages to transcend the centuries. The quick cuts from one scene to another and general lack of background music add to this poignant sense of realism. It is not cluttered with the hyperbole and sensationalism of an epic, but rather approached in a straightforward manner of a docu-drama.

    This does not mean there are not some splendors for the eye. Thank heavens, this movie filmed on location in England which makes it feel all the more authentic and personally sparks my imagination. It all seems to be as it should be – the great river used as a highway, the foggy landscapes, the Tudor buildings, the interiors of Westminster Hall. And those sinister gargoyles that serve as a constant motif are a deeply evocative display of both power and peril.

    While the music overall is sparse, the introductory theme for A Man for All Seasons is deeply impactful for me, full of the pageantry of the age but also containing undercurrents of the turmoil in the plot. There are other musical highlights to be mentioned as well. I am always moved by the scene where Sir Thomas is being led to the interrogation at Richmond Palace, and he passes a room full of revelers, laughing and dancing. Their trivial display in the face of such depth of spirit is a powerful contrast. The same is true for the bombastic music played when Henry VIII and his brightly-clad, fumbling courtiers visit Chelsea by barge.

    The cast is stellar, and Paul Scofield makes a perfect Thomas More. His expressions are wonderfully readable, and his voice has a terrific range, from his usual quiet demeanor to the bellowing finale in Westminster Hall. Wendy Hiller makes a delightfully grouchy Mrs. More, and one of the most emotional scenes is her final parting from her husband in the cell, when he tries to compliment her dress and custard to put her in a good mood. She explodes in anger and says she fears she will hate him if he should let himself be killed, and he repeats in a broken voice, “No, you mustn’t Alice…you mustn’t…” She eventually breaks down and embraces him, saying she’d gladly tell the king what she thinks of him. He affectionately repeats, “I married a lion, I married a lion!”

    The film also does an excellent job portraying the relationship between Thomas and his favorite daughter, Meg, which I always relate to because of my own close relationship with my father. Another relationship I find deeply fascinating is the one between More and The Duke of Norfolk. It is obvious that Thomas deeply values their friendship, but he also says that as deep as his affection towards Norfolk runs, God is the only one who is love through and through, and He must come first. Then he tries on purpose to get Norfolk to break their friendship so he will not be implicated with More. It always gives me a little pang in the heart as their argument escalates and The Duke tries to strike Thomas, leaving him sprawled on the ground with a look of intense pain on his face.

    To my never-ending angst, some have insisted that A Man for All Seasons is a “boring”, “unimaginative”, “conservative” film. If by boring they mean no Indiana Jones-style action sequences, well, they would happily be correct. If by unimaginative and conservative they mean that there is actually a moral conundrum that can be defined into “right” and “wrong” categories, and this film celebrates the right, they would happily be correct. It is not meant to be light entertainment, nor is it meant to be strictly academic. As Sir Thomas tells his sobbing daughter Meg, after all the arguments are finished, love is what remains. An interesting fact is that Robert Bolt, the screenplay writer of A Man for All Seasons, was an agnostic, yet always felt an abiding connection with St. Thomas for his principled stand against tyranny. The result was that Bolt did an exceptional job portraying religious conviction without being arrogant or preachy.

    As a side-effect, non-religious themes were stressed to make the film more palatable to non-Catholic viewers. At times, liberty of conscious is made to eclipse the issue of loyalty to Papal Authority and The Catholic Church. It is much easier to swallow for broader audiences, but oftentimes misrepresents the real Thomas More, who was actually stridently fought against heresy within the realm. The fact is he was a man of his age, and some of the things he did may seem rather small-minded and even a bit hypocritical in modern times. But he was also very much an innovator and a Renaissance man, determined to make the world a better place through his role in politics and maintaining his integrity and devotion to Christ’s Church even at the cost of his life. And this was a man who deeply loved life.

    The finale in Westminster Hall is unfailingly inspiring, especially as I think of Pope Benedict XVI making a speech in that very same hall just a few years ago. It always strikes the inner core of my being, and sets my jaw on edge with the sheer level of intensity. There is Richard Rich, the superficial young man who becomes the lackey of Thomas Cromwell and perjures Sir Thomas in Court. More takes a look at the chain of around his neck, and sees the emblem of the red dragon. Inquiring as to its significance, he is told that Rich has been made the High Commissioner of Wales. Then the classic line from Sir Thomas: “Our Lord said it profits a man nothing to gain the whole world and lose his soul…but for Wales?”

    More’s final statements in the Hall are pretty explicit about his very Catholic convictions. He says Parliament has no power to meddle in the affairs of the Church or declare Henry head of the Church, and that by doing so they are going against both the Magna Charta and the king’s own coronation oath. Only the Pope has to power to judge on matters of ecclesiastical rulings, and only he can claim the title head of the Church, because it was given him by Christ Himself, who gave St. Peter the keys to the kingdom.     His execution follows swiftly afterwards, after his final words: “I die his Majesty’s good servant, but God’s first.” After this we are taken back to a shot of the gargoyles and the wonderfully unperturbed British narrator telling us that most of More’s tormenters would ultimately be executed as well, usually for lesser causes, and that Richard Rich would be made Chancellor of England…only to die in his bed.

    As a Catholic, this movie is a testament to the heart of my beliefs, and I would highly recommend it as one of the greatest religious films of all time. It also demonstrates the very best and very worst of Englishness and Britishness and brings me back to my roots of how I came to love that nation and that people so strongly. Besides being focused on a saint, A Man for All Seasons stands apart as a classically-crafted, moving historical drama about a man who was willing to sacrifice everything to stay true to his faith and his conscience. Its power and poignancy will never wane, but only grow with each passing season.

Sir Thomas More (Paul Scofield) refuses to submit to King Henry VIII (Robert Shaw)