Sean Connery plays Brother William Of Baskerville, a Franciscan
monk who is called to a remote abbey in Northern Italy in 1327 to attend a debate
between members of his order and the papal delegation. However, once he arrives
with his young apprentice Adso (well-played by Christian Slater), the Lord
Abbott (Michael Lonsdale) informs him of the mysterious death of one of the
abbey's monks shortly before the guests for the debate started to arrive.
Apparently the young monk was thrown from a tower of the abbey with windows that
had no earthly way of opening. There are whispers within the abbey that the
death of the monk was the devil's work, and a sign of the beginning of the end
of the world. With the papal delegation not yet arrived for the debate (which
deals with the main question of whether or not Christ owned the clothes that
he wore), the Lord Abbott asks Brother William to investigate the mystery
behind the monk's death.
Connery plays Brother William as a wise, observant man with a keen eye for
details and a powerful intellect to match. He is a natural investigator, a
detective in the same league as Sherlock Holmes. And with young Adso serving as
his Dr. Watson, William tackles a mystery that grows even more tangled with the
death of a second monk, and then a third. Despite William's best efforts,
superstition wins out over logic and reason, and the Lord Abbott, convinced of
a supernatural menace lurking within his abbey, calls for the dreaded inquisitor,
Bernardo Gui (F. Murray Abraham) to exorcise the demons--along with those whom he
deems to be working with Satan.
Based on the novel by Umberto Eco, and directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud, The Name
Of The Rose is an enthralling and entertaining mystery. Annaud effectively
captures the raw, squalid conditions of twelfth century life by filming at an
actual abbey from that era. Narrated by the voice of an elderly Adso, the film
retains the literary flavor of its source material. And the cast is superb.
Connery is marvelous as William, and Slater has the proper wide-eyed innocence
needed for a boy who is thrust into a complex and deadly situation. F. Murray
Abraham has just the right cadence as Gui; he's a vicious, hissable villain
without going overboard. William Hickey is also excellent and funny as Ubertino,
a fellow Franciscan monk who is a bit on the loopy side. And Ron Perlman, best
know today for his starring role in Hellboy, really shines as the sympathetic
hunchback Salvatore. The extras include an audio commentary by the director, a
43-minute German-made documentary (spoken in German, so be sure to switch on the
English subtitles if you need them) about the making of the film, that offers a
fascinating view of the painstaking work the filmmakers went through to capture
the 12th century on film. There's also a photo video Journey with director
Jean-Jacques Annaud, where he reflects back on the challenges of making the film.
The Name Of The Rose is a stylish, witty and well-told story which offers a welcome
twist to the typical murder mystery. --SF
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