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The Movie:
A hypnotic and often beautiful film from Roberto Rosselini, "Flowers of St. Francis" is less an actual feature than a series of short stories that are tied together. The picture has St. Francis living with his group of monks in the land of Assisi, and breaks off into different tales focusing on the different monks (who are all played by real monks, not professional actors.)
The film exists more as a character study, as the various monks are seen following various teachings, with each of their stories presented in a subtle, realistic fashion - Rosselini does not add drama to this minimalist picture, letting the audience get wrapped up in the simple, well-acted (surprisingly so, given the non-professional cast) events of daily life for this small group. The events of the different tales are fully realized and pleasantly captured, giving the audience a wealth of detail about the characters and their environment. Overall, the character study approach of Rosselini and writer Federico Fellini more than capably engages instead of a more standard narrative.
The film's cinematography is another highlight (the rain-soaked early scenes are haunting), as the images - which are intended to invoke the paintings of St. Francis's time - are composed beautifully, engage the eye and look stunning on this new Criterion DVD transfer.
The DVD
VIDEO: "Flowers of St. Francis" is presented in the film's original 1.33:1 full-frame aspect ratio by Criterion. This is a new high-definition digital transfer that was created on a C-Reality from the 35mm restored internegative. Additionally, thousands of instances of dirt, scratches and other wear were removed using the MTI Digital Restoration System. The B & W presentation looked rather inconsistent at times, but much of the running time looked surprisingly good for a movie that's 55-years-old.
While some shots here-and-there looked a bit soft and hazy, much of the film seemed unexpectedly sharp and well-defined, with good detail and a "fresh" appearance. There were still a few minor instances of specks, marks and other wear - understandably, not everything can be touched up - the majority of the film looked clean. A moment or two of edge enhancement appeared in a couple of scenes, but was hardly a distraction. Overall, this is terrific work from Criterion.
SOUND: The film is presented in mono (Italian w/optional English subs). The audio was mastered at 24-bit from the restored 35mm print. Audio restoration tools were used to reduce instances of hiss, distortion or other concerns. While some minor hiss still remains at times, the majority of the film sounds quite good, with crisp dialogue and other background sounds.
EXTRAS: The director's daughter, Isabella Rosellini, discusses the filming of her father's picture, as well as some of the themes of his film, in a newly recorded interview. She also talks about her father's favoring low budget filmmaking and shares memories of her father's work and life. It's a wonderful interview, well worth watching. Also included on this DVD are interviews with film critic Father Virgilio Fantuzzi and historian Adriano Apra. The other nice addition to this set is an original prologue to the film, which was added to the American release. This segment sets up the historical context of the movie through paintings. Finally, we also get a 36-page booklet.
Final Thoughts: "Flowers of St. Francis" is a simple, soulful movie that offers impressive non-professional performances and exceptional cinematography. This new Criterion DVD presentation offers a nice helping of supplements and audio/video quality that exceeds expectations, given the age of the movie. Recommended.
Film Grade
The Film B+
DVD Grades
Video 91/A
Audio: 85/B
Extras: 80/B-
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