The Name Of The Rose (Special Edition)

Advantages: Fascinating, a good mystery, lots of little touches
Disadvantages: -

...modern and medieval elements. The setting is an abbey, whose name according to the narrator, 'it seems pious and prudent to omit'. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Umberto Eco, a semiologist and intellectual I had the pleasure of meeting twice - once at my university in America, and then again a few years later in London. Semiotics is a study of signs - in many ways, my theological training parallels, and it is this kind of parallel ...
...about to be had at the high, inaccessible abbey. This debate, according to the leading Franciscan participant, is one that can determine the theology of the church for generations to come. So pivotal was this issue that papal envoys and monastics from around Christendom have gathered to determine the answer to the question - did Christ, or did he not, own the clothes he wore. This is a play on the kind of theological musings that, then and now, ... Read review

Advantages: see review
Disadvantages: see review

The Name of The Rose is a mediaeval murder mystery based on the novel of the same name by Italian journalist and semiotician Umberto Eco. It is based in the 14th century, in an italian monastery where dark deeds are afoot, and despite its rather slow pace, is an truly excellent movie. Sean Connery as the main star complained that only 5 people saw the movie when interviewed once and it is true that it was hardly a success on its release. Perhaps ...
...go, this is one of the more impressive of its kind and is one which any fan of the genre ought to be rushing out to check out right away - although obviously its not going to be everyone's cup of tea for a number of reasons outlined below. The plot behind the movie is somewhat complicated and to be fair to you, the viewer(hopefully), I am not going to give the game away by saying to much. It a murder mystery after all, so if I go rambling on about ... Read review

Advantages: a fantastic story and a great role for Connery
Disadvantages: a bit dark and gloomy in places

...thorn, they say and indeed The Name of the Rose possesses a spiky subject matter at the heart of its plot. Based on Unberto Eco's award winning novel this medieval murder mystery is a roller coaster ride of dark deeds and conspiracies in the cold cloisters and corridors of a monastery with a dreaded secret to hide. For those who like the Cadfael mystery series that became so popular a few years ago this will certainly hit the mark and although it ...
...has the advantage of some heavyweight names and a splendid directorial touch. Jean Jacques Annaud directs Sean Connery, F. Murray Abraham and even a young Christian Slater to great affect and the cinematography is majestic in creating a paranoid and chilling frame for the actors to work within. The film is set against the power struggles of the various religious orders that made up the Catholic Church, a time of the power of the Inquisitions when ... Read review

Advantages: Good Story, creepy atmosphere, Connery's excellent acting, able support, score, camerawork
Disadvantages: uneven directing, reminds you of a Sherlock Holmes story

I have yet to read the much respected Umberto Eco novel from where this film was adapted; and even though a lot of critics prefer the book to the film I'm just a little scared to do so. The reason - well I loved the movie, even more so for Sean Connery temporarily moving away from the boring Hollywood glitz & his popular but sterile movie roles. Yes I suppose the book is superior, but then most books usually are. Books are relatively cheap to publish; ...
...making it very understandable to the reader. Trying to adapt such a book in its full glory would mean a film lasting about 7 or 8 hours at a cost of several million dollars. But who would honestly want to sit and watch that in one session? So what we have instead is a watered-down sanitised version that I presume tries to keep key points from the book into sharp focus on film. Connery is a 14th century monk, turned detective, called in to investigate ... Read review

Advantages: Beautifully shot, atmospheric and intelligent
Disadvantages: Perhaps too intelligent for its own good

...adaption of his novel to the big screen captures all of the medieval mystery that shrouds an Italian Monastery on a wonderful canvas of atmospheric sets. Not much to say about the acting, other than fine preformances from Connery as William of Baskerville, the 'Sherlock Holmesian' sleuth who unravels the devilish goings on. Christian Slater is excellent as Baskerville's pupil, capturing that magical wonder and naievity separating adolesence from ...
...erie soundtrack that echoes the fear and mystery gripping the monastery. The Name of the Rose is an intelligent, well acted and beautifully shot movie, capturing the medieval fear of the unknown that existed at the time. But more than that, as a film, it get's Eco's message across: that the darkness of the unknown can ultimately be banished by the light of logic. On a deeper level, Eco is trying to snapshot that moment in history when rationalism ... Read review