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Adapted from Umberto Eco's best-selling novel, director Jean-Jacques Annaud's The Name of the Rose is a 14th century murder-mystery thriller starring Sean Connery as a Sherlock Holmes-esque Franciscan monk called William of Baskerville. When a murder occurs at a secluded Benedictine Abbey, William is called in to investigate. As he and his apprentice, Adson von Melk (Christian Slater), delve deeper and deeper into the case, more dead bodies begin to turn up. Eventually, Bernardo Gui, an inquisitor played by F. Murray Abraham gets involved, but he may not have the best intentions. (official distributor synopsis)

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Reviews (8)

Kaka 

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English Annaud's vision of the Middle Ages as dirty and harsh is remarkable and captivates the viewer right from the start. The portrayal of the characters is also solid – I haven't read the book, which obviously affects my objectivity. However, the brilliant first half is followed by a noticeably boring part. Although the mysteries and puzzles around the murders are revealed, I still occasionally couldn't help but feel bored. I don't have much to say about the ending and it fits the film quite well. And even though The Name of the Rose is undoubtedly a quality piece of filmmaking, one viewing is enough for me in this case. Annaud is one of the few filmmakers who shows us the Middle Ages with a maximum dose of brutality and reality, but personally, it didn't appeal to me as much as I would have expected from a director of his caliber. ()

lamps 

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English There’s no comparison with Eco's amazing novel – if some foolish filmmaker decided to quote the famous book in all its plot levels, from the epic one embracing the detective plot and the investigation of the murders in the abbey to the philosophical one, where the characters talk at length about the basic theological issues of the time, and retain the overall structure, atmosphere and historical value of the story, the project would have to be stretched into at least a seven-part series, with each episode easily exceeding 90 minutes. Instead of that, Annaud very cleverly forged his own path through the dirty, unwelcoming and fog-shrouded abbey, highlighting the importance of the detective storyline, which was just one of many in the novel, and cleverly amplifying the significance of the character of the fanatical inquisitor Bernard Gui, who becomes the most sinister villain and poses a tangible, physical danger to the "medieval Sherlock" William of Baskerville. The narrative is gripping and the script fulfils its purpose within its stated aim: to present the audience with an image of a typical medieval abbey, to trap the villain using the intellect of the central duo, to highlight the role of love in the midst of religious fanaticism and to punish and show the monstrosity and inhumanity of the church tyrants of the time. The story retains its compactness and atmosphere, and is also favourable to the proponents of the book's premise, as it is not literal in its secondary motifs and relies precisely on the familiarity and insight of the viewer. There is no need to talk about the brilliant cinematography, capable of inducing vertigo with circular raids on the abbey or, on the contrary, claustrophobic feelings just by creeping movement inside the labyrinth, as well as about the absolutely fabulous cast, from the charismatic Connery to the truly diabolical Abraham to the delectable and funny creation of Ron Perlman... I greatly respect and admire Umberto Eco's book, but I absolutely love this film... 100% ()

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Malarkey 

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English Exactly what I was hoping for: incredibly grim, dense, and pure medieval atmosphere. Coupled with Umberto Eco's epic story, Sean Connery's fantastic performance, and F. Murray Abraham's demonic presence, it delivers a truly unique experience. Admittedly, it's not a film I'd watch multiple times, but while you're watching it, you realize Jean-Jacques Annaud captured the essence of the story perfectly. ()

kaylin 

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English Umberto Eco certainly wrote a great novel - and I'll definitely get to it one day - but this film is also great. One wouldn't believe that this detective story would actually be entertaining, suspenseful, and scary, and on top of all that, it would have a bit deeper meaning in how it leans into faith and human nature. A great genre connection that works perfectly. ()

Marigold 

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English Fans of Umberto Eco will probably slam the film – where are the master's many layers, where is the diversity of reading that makes the book a unique work? Well, it evaporated in the medieval fog. Annaud's The Name of the Rose is a nice detective story with a good atmosphere and a thrilling plot, but it completely lacks a sophisticated symbolic plane... but that doesn't hurt it. If you want to deal with puzzles above all, look for Eco, and for those who above all want a nice story, then you want Annaud. Just don't mix them up! ()

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