I enjoyed it a lot, a very simple unpretentious film as befitting the subject, and quite democratic in the space it gives to various characters, not just St Francis. It’s a long way from Hollywood grandiose piety, and more witty than i’d expected. The sort of film to give Christianity a better name. And this from a director with something of a rich playboy-type lifestyle!
I enjoyed it too. It was very simple in it’s presentation, Kenji explains it better than I can. I found it surprising how economical, and even it was in presenting each life of the monks. It’s not simply about a great saint, but about a great saint, and his followers, and their deeds in a small period in his life. Like I said Kenji said pretty much everything I wanted to say about the film.
I didn’t think it was necessarily mindblowing, but it was very good. I was very pleasantly surprised by how funny it was, I expected a very murose, Bresson-like religious film (maybe because I had literally just seen Diary of a Country Priest the day earlier). I think there are probably better Rossellini films (this was the first I’ve seen), but I’m very happy with my purchase of it.
I really respected that Rossellini used some actual monks as the followers in the film, but that’s a side-note really.
Oh… one other thing. I knew you were being facetious Justin, so was I.
Thanks Kenji and Col. Dax. Col. Dax, what does your name mean? Is it a film character?
Kirk Douglas in Paths of Glory
Ohhh, thanks Soybean, I feel like I should have known that. lol
Justin Biberkopf
Col Dax, you mentioned watching this recently. I was thinking of getting it soon. What did you or anyone else who’s seen it think about this?