Brother Sun, Sister Moon (Italian: Fratello sole, sorella luna) is a 1972 historical drama film based on the hagiography of Saint Francis of Assisi.

It is directed by Franco Zeffirelli from a screenplay he co-wrote with Suso Cecchi d'Amico, Lina Wertmüller and Kenneth Ross.

It stars Graham Faulkner as Francis and Judi Bowker as Clare of Assisi, along with Leigh Lawson, Kenneth Cranham, Lee Montague, Valentina Cortese and Alec Guinness.

Francesco, spoiled son of wealthy textile merchant Pietro Bernardone, returns from fighting in the war between Assisi and Perugia.

However, to his parents' consternation, he spends most of his time surrounded by nature, flowers, trees, animals and poetry as he becomes reluctant to resume his previous lifestyle.

Lovingly, Francesco renounces all worldly possessions and his middle-class family including the name "Bernardone", removes his clothing and leaves Assisi, naked and free from his past, to live in the beauties of nature as an ascetic and to enjoy a simple life as a man of God.

Then to everyone's astonishment, Pope Innocent kneels, kisses Francesco's feet and blesses him, his companions and grants them permission to establish their holy order of friars.

The film finishes with Francesco walking alone into the countryside to the sound of the title song "Brother Sun and Sister Moon."

Zeffirelli's signature lush photography in Brother Sun, Sister Moon indicates that it was conceived and executed in the same visual manner as his Academy Award-winning adaptation of Romeo and Juliet (1968).

The film attempts to draw parallels between the work and philosophy of Saint Francis and the ideology that underpinned the worldwide counterculture movement of the 1960's and early 1970's.

[5] Peter Firth made his film debut as one of Francis' disciples, but his role was all-but-deleted from the final cut, though he's still listed in the credits.

[1] The Italian version of the film runs 13 minutes longer than the international theatrical cut, and features additional scenes and alternate sequencing.

The score consists of songs by singer-songwriter Donovan, with incidental music composed by Riz Ortolani and arranged by Ken Thorne.

Roger Ebert harshly criticized the film, writing that it had "an excess of sweetness and light", and that its dialogue consisted of "empty, pretty phrasing".

"[13][14] However, Christopher Hudson of The Spectator called Brother Sun, Sister Moon "a beautiful and simple film" and especially praised its cinematography, though he acknowledged "the limitations of the script".

[3] The film was nominated for an Oscar for Best Art Direction (Lorenzo Mongiardino, Gianni Quaranta, Carmelo Patrono),[16] but lost to The Sting (Henry Bumstead).