Having recently written about films expressing religious faith or being about religious subjects, The Flowers of St. Francis provides an interesting contrast to the films cited at the Tribeca Film Festival. Specifically, this is a film that demonstrates that a film with religious subject matter does not have to be a solemn film. Several people have attributed the humor in Rossellini's film to co-screenwriter Federico Fellini. The Italian title of the film translates as "Francis, God's Jester". Keep in mind that religion, specifically the Catholic faith, is not ridiculed, nor are Francis or his followers. The humor is generated by the childlike innocence and literalness of the Franciscans, as well as Francis' approach to his disciples. An example is Francis' treatment of Ginepro, a follower who manifests humility in its extreme. Ginepro makes a habit of offering his own shabby robe to anyone dressed more poorly than himself, leaving himself naked. Francis "commands" Ginepro not to offer his clothing to the poor, yet his eyes move to the side, a look similar to Bob Hope uttering a double entendre. Later, when the disciples are to walk to separate destinations to spread Francis' message, they are uncertain where to go. Francis orders the men to spin around until dizzy and travel in whichever direction they land. Faith is expressed as youthful devotion to a man and a spiritual philosophy.

To a limited extent, neo-realism informs The Flowers of St. Francis. With the exception of Aldo Fabrizi in a brief role, all of the other actors are non-professionals. The Franciscans of the film are real Franciscan brothers. While the titles that precede each vignette refer to Francis as a saint, Rossellini films him as the other characters. There is no dramatic emphasis, special lighting, music or other devices used. That non-professional actors were used is more amazing in the case of the person who portrays Ginepro. There is a scene with "barbarians" in which Ginepro is tossed about between several very burly men before being dragged on the ground by a horse. The men who portrayed Francis and Ginepro all perfomed without screen credits, perhaps out of their own humility as Franciscans, but also diminishing any difference between their personal identities and those of the believers on-screen.