- Franciscan friars have asked Passion of the Christ director
Mel Gibson to make a movie biography of the founder of their order, St
Francis of Assisi.
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- The Franciscan Friars of the Renewal have posted a letter
to Gibson on their website, along with an online petition.
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- It praises the director for his "work of sacred
art" and asks him "to produce a sequel about a man many acclaim
to be the Church's greatest saint".
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- St Francis is the patron saint of animals and the environment.
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- In the letter to Gibson, the friars say they believe
the film, if made, "would show the world what happens when a person
totally and unequivocally responds to the Passion of the Christ."
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- It goes on to suggest Gibson could call the film Man
of the Passion.
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- St Francis has been portrayed on screen on numerous occasions,
notably in Franco Zeffirelli's 1972 film Brother Sun, Sister Moon and by
Mickey Rourke in 1989's Francesco.
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- There was also a 1929 Italian silent, intriguingly called
The Passion of St Francis.
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- However, the friars say that "while this story has
been portrayed on the screen in the past, it has been done poorly".
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- "This powerful figure has too often been reduced
to a pious, peace-loving character cast in plaster."
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- According to Father Glenn Sudano, head of the community
of 82 friars in the New York metropolitan area, saints are too often depicted
as caricatures.
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- "They are much more powerful, more interesting [and]
engaging," he said.
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- Father Sudano admitted the chances of Gibson heeding
his order's plea were limited, but hoped the petition would raise the issue.
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- "If Mr Gibson chooses not to do this, maybe there
will be a Polish director or whatever. We just want someone to do it right."
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- The Passion of the Christ has made over $360m (£203m)
in the US alone and recently broke box office records in Italy.
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- © BBC MMIV
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- http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/3645525.stm
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