Overview
A whimsical journey through the life of a saint and his followers, exploring faith and humility.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- whimsical
- devotional
- gentle
- reflective evening
- classic cinema study
What critics said
Critics broadly regard Rossellini’s episodic portrait of Franciscan devotion as a luminous, humane, and quietly comic achievement of Italian neorealism.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The story unfolds through about a dozen largely unconnected chapters, several shaped like brief religious parables.
Francis and his followers express belief through simple acts such as giving away clothing, embracing a leper, and preaching among ordinary people.
The brotherhood’s religious commitment coexists with Ginepro’s naked return, Giovanni’s comic stubbornness, and the friars’ dizzy spinning.
The film places a sacred medieval story in a restrained, human-scale Italian neorealist mode centered on humble followers.
Films like The Flowers of St. Francis, and why
Rome, Open City
shared italian neorealist humanism, episodic structure, spiritual compassion, and understated comic observation
The Gospel According to St. Matthew
shared neorealist simplicity, religious themes, parable-like storytelling, and focus on humble communities
Nights of Cabiria
shared poetic realism, spiritual searching, and gentle episodic portraiture of outsiders
Andrei Rublev
shared austere religious drama, mystical atmosphere, and medieval devotional subject matter
Movie Details
- Director
- Roberto Rossellini
- Release Date
- 1950-12-15
- Runtime
- 87 min
- Rating
- 7.1 / 10 (101)
Cast
- Aldo Fabrizi
- Gianfranco Bellini
- Peparuolo
- Severino Pisacane
- Roberto Sorrentino
- Nazario Gerardi
- Arabella Lemaitre
- Renzo Rossellini
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- HBO Max Amazon Channel, Criterion Channel, HBO Max
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Flowers of St. Francis about?
- Roberto Rossellini’s tender medieval mosaic finds radiant faith and playful humanity in the humble brotherhood surrounding St. Francis.
- What is The Flowers of St. Francis like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Flowers of St. Francis as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Flowers of St. Francis violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in The Flowers of St. Francis.
- What did critics think of The Flowers of St. Francis?
- Critics broadly regard Rossellini’s episodic portrait of Franciscan devotion as a luminous, humane, and quietly comic achievement of Italian neorealism.
- Which films are like The Flowers of St. Francis?
- Films with a similar feel include Rome, Open City, The Gospel According to St. Matthew, Nights of Cabiria, and Andrei Rublev.
- How long is The Flowers of St. Francis?
- The Flowers of St. Francis runs 87 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Flowers of St. Francis?
- In United States, The Flowers of St. Francis streams on HBO Max Amazon Channel, Criterion Channel, HBO Max.
