The Name of the Rose

This is one of those movies (and indeed books) that falls into the Love it or Hate it categories. I like these movies, because love or loathe, they inspire passion.

The movie had some troubles being made as well. There were no monasteries that match the director's vision, so the entire thing had to be built. Director Jean-Jaques Annaud deliberately chose the ugliest actors who applied for the film. He felt they looked like the men from his village. When asked by the home folk if he really thought they were that ugly, he said yes. Michael Caine, Albert Finney, Richard Harris, and Ian McKellan were all considered for the role of William of Baskerville. Robert De Niro wanted the role, but he wanted a sword fight, so he was never seriously considered. At the time Sean Connery's career was at such low ebb, that Columbia Pictures withdrew their financial support when the choice was announced. So it really is amazing the movie was made at all.

The Plot

The monastery where the mystery takes place is to host a council to debate Christ's poverty, and what it means to the church; must the church live in poverty like our Lord and Savior? The year is 1327 Anno Domini, and not to many years before, a heretical sect, the Dolchinites, dedicated to Christ's poverty, helped save the souls of many by murdering the rich and plundering the treasures of the church. Also remember, this is about the time the Holy Inquisition really got its legs under it. So the air is tense, and there are real life and death issues at stake here.

William of Baskerville (Sean Connery) is a Franciscan participant in the debate. Highly regarded for his insight and logic, it is hoped he will help ease the debate along. Accompanying him is his novice, Adso of Melk (Christian Slater). William immediately senses the unease that grips the abbey. It does not take much to prompt the Abbot (Michael Lonsdale) to request the famous monk's aid. It seems that Adelmo, one of their most talented illuminators was thrown through a plate glass window, with out breaking it. The brothers suspect the work of the devil.

William quickly lays that theory to rest, looking at the lay of the land, and realizing that the body fell from another tower, and rolled to its resting place beneath the sealed tower. Adelmo committed suicide.

The explanation of the next body is not so simple; Venantius (Urs Althaus) is a translator of Greek. He is found head down in a vat of pig's blood. A post mortem examination uncovers a curious stain on his index finger; William suspects arsenic.

As the other delegates arrive, things begin to spiral out of control. Spurred on by the apocalyptic mutterings of some of the more visionary monks, panic is spreading among the brothers. William and Adso try to investigate the scriptorium, but are thwarted by the irascible Venerable Jorge du Borgus (Feodor Chaliapin Jr.) a blind monk, well respected with a personal crusade against laughter. The Librarian and his assistant, a strange creature named Berenger (Michael Habeck) are less than helpful. Berenger in particular seems upset by the intrusion into his domain. Bald, pallid, obese, possibly castrated, and left handed, he is a (self) striking character.

The only one more striking in the Abbey is Salvatore (Ron Perlman), a hunchback who speaks in a patois of cobbled together words from a dozen languages. He was also a Dulchinite. In spite of this, William sees no harm in the creature, even though he scares Adso.

A midnight raid on the library yields several more clues; a scrap of notes, written by the translator. Blue paint indicates that it came from Adelmo, and even more mysteriously, it has a cryptic cipher, written in lemon juice, revealed in heat, and written with the left hand. Only one monk is left handed.

But that one monk is in the Scriptorium. Berenger creates a distraction, and grabs the book, William's glasses trapped inside. Berenger escapes with the book.

But not for long, for he too dies, and is marked with the blackened finger, a blackened tongue.

Three deaths, and just as the brothers reach a fever pitch, Bernardo Gui of the Holy Inquisition arrives.

William finds himself trapped, trapped by an inquisitor, angry at William's past defiance of his authority, trapped by a sense of right in the face of injustice, trapped even by the image held of him by Adso. Can he find the Truth without ending up a victim of the Inquisition, or the mysterious force that has already killed three Monks?

So many things make this movie; first, visually, it is highly detailed. While not beautiful, it does come across as accurate; Annaud's trick of hiring the ugliest actors on two continents certainly paid off dividends here. The Abbey is almost another character, with a homely charm of her own, ornately beautiful in the holy places, stained and shabby for the living spaces.

Second, the performances are remarkable. Among the sixteen wins and two nominations the movie garnered Sean Connery won the BAFTA and German Screen Awards for best Actor. Other remarkable performances include Ron Perlman as Salvatore, Michael Habeck as the inverted Berenger, and most particularly to Christian Slater as Adso of Melk. Adso frequently looks overwhelmed and frightened, but frankly as a beautiful young monk in a monastery rife with homoerotic undertones and butt ugly monks, this seems perfectly reasonable. Slater is the sex object in this film, not the girl (Valentina Vargas) and his sex scene with her, while necessary to the plot, was so traumatic to the fifteen year old actor that all his subsequent contracts have included a clause that gives him the power to opt out of any nude scene.

The only let down performance was from someone who should have known better. F. Murray Abraham plays the despicable Bernardo Gui with all the subtlety of a silent era film villain. He plays him so far over the top he is just slightly south of Tim Curry's performance in The Rocky Horror Picture Show. He also wore more eye makeup than Curry.

A remarkable period piece, it historical accuracy has led some critics to say you need a degree in medieval history to appreciate it. To them I say, read a book! Others claim the pace is too slow. To them I say skip this and rent a Steven Seagal triple feature. You are a lost cause. The only other criticism worth addressing is the comparison to Sherlock Holmes. Well, yes, there are several. William of Baskerville, Adso as Dr. Watson, the faithful chronicler, not as smart, but more in touch with the real world, the use of the phrase, "elementary." Yes, these are all blatant rip offs of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's most famous detective. However, remember that the book was written in Italian, and the references are therefore, to his audience, less obvious.

Like the book, the movie takes its time getting where it is going, and assumes you are smart enough to appreciate the scenery along the way. This is a refreshing change from so many movies.

The real test of any movie though is how well it stands the test of time, and here, this movie is remarkable. There are few movies I rewatch as often, and no other mystery do I find enjoyable the second, or seventh time around. So the next time you pass this jewel in Blockbuster, rent it again. It's better than the other two movies you picked out.