For those who know nothing about the life and ministry of Francis of Assisi, this is an excellent place to start. The documentary spans his initial encounter with Christ all the way to his death, in just under an hour. Indeed, it is a sketch with some nice insights provided by various commentators. I'm not partial to reenactments, and there are plenty here. I prefer seeing the places themselves, as well as the art of the time. As the documentary creators are only imagining what the visuals, I would prefer to be allowed to do the same; dramatizing these events without the depth that can occur in a film risks deflating the impact of the moment. This does happen here...I found myself looking away and listening to the words and enjoyed it much better. But there are beautiful countrysides, and plenty of other visuals which work quite well. In the end, this is a pleasant way to get an introduction to the work of Francis, and hopefully a desire to learn much more.
