“In 1950, Rossellini made The Flowers of St. Francis, a tableau of episodes from the life of the peoples' saint, filmed in a Neo-Realistic manner--with non-professionals and in a documentary style--but structured in a manner which anticipates his later experiments with historical subjects (The Rise to Power of Louis XIV, etc.). In his book on Rossellini, Jose Luis Guarner writes:
“‘The Flowers of St. Francis can rightly be regarded as the first true historical film, in which time is abolished so that a distant past can be examined in the present. Here history (or, if you like, legend) becomes chronicle. This approach remains an essential of Rossellini's work and foreshadows his films for television. The extreme economy of the chronicle gives it an eternal quality: the Franciscan message is entirely relevant to the present and the little brothers of St. Francis remain alive forever.'
“Federico Fellini collaborated on the scenario, which shows a little band of Franciscans as men who are always active--making small objects, planting corn, building huts--and who express their joy and piety physically. There is nothing of the pious clichés of haloed movie saints here. Finally, The Flowers of St. Francis is a movie about harmony, a vision of a perfect accord between Man and Nature, a statement that is at once materialistic and religious.” Treasures from the Eastman House, PFA Publication