The Name of the Rose (1986)

An intellectually nonconformist friar investigates a series of mysterious deaths in an isolated abbey.

Director:

Jean-Jacques Annaud

Writers:

Umberto Eco (novel), Andrew Birkin (screenplay)

Stars:

Sean Connery, Christian Slater, Helmut Qualtinger

Won 2 BAFTA Film Awards. Another 15 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sean Connery	...	William von Baskerville
Christian Slater	...	Adso von Melk
Helmut Qualtinger	...	Remigio de Varagine
Elya Baskin	...	Severinus
Michael Lonsdale	...	Der Abt
Volker Prechtel	...	Malachia
Feodor Chaliapin Jr.	...	Jorge de Burgos
William Hickey	...	Ubertino de Casale
Michael Habeck	...	Berengar
Urs Althaus	...	Venantius
Valentina Vargas	...	Das Mädchen
Ron Perlman	...	Salvatore
Leopoldo Trieste	...	Michele da Cesena
Franco Valobra	...	Jerome of Kaffa
Vernon Dobtcheff	...	Hugh of Newcastle

Storyline

1327. After a mysterious death in a Benedictine Abbey, the monks are convinced that the apocalypse is coming. With the Abbey to play host to a council on the Franciscan's Order's belief that the Church should rid itself of wealth, William of Baskerville, a respected Franciscan friar, is asked to assist in determining the cause of the untimely death. Alas, more deaths occur as the investigation draws closer to uncovering the secret the Abbey wants hidden, and there is finally no stopping the Holy Inquisition from taking an active hand in the process. William and his young novice must race against time to prove the innocence of the unjustly accused and avoid the wrath of Holy Inquisitor Bernardo Gui.

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Plot Keywords:

middle ages | abbey | monk | franciscan | death | 

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Taglines:

Who, in the name of God, is getting away with murder?

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

West Germany Italy France

Language:

English Latin

Release Date:

24 September 1986 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Name of the Rose

Filming Locations:

Campo Imperatore, L'Aquila, Abruzzo, Italy

Box Office

Budget:

ITL 30,000,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$494,571, 28 September 1986, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$7,153,487

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$77,200,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Constantin Film, Cristaldifilm, Les Films Ariane

Technical Specs

Runtime:

130 min

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) Dolby (35 mm prints)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The character of the Venerable Jorge de Burgos, a Spanish monk, is Umberto Eco's tribute to Argentinian writer Jorge Luis Borges, who was also blind, and who wrote "The Library of Babel", which inspired elements of the story.

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Goofs

The statue of the Virgin Mary in the church is in Renaissance style but it should have been Romanesque or Gothic.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Voice of Adso as an Old Man: Having reached the end of my poor sinner's life, my hair now white, I prepare to leave on this parchment my testimony as to the wondrous and terrible events that I witnessed in my youth, towards the end of the year of our Lord 1327. May God grant me the wisdom and grace to be the faithful chronicler of the happenings that took place in a remote abbey in the dark north of Italy. An abbey whose name it seems, even now, pious and prudent to omit.

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Crazy Credits

The opening credits read - A palimpsest of Umberto Eco's Novel The Name of the Rose

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Alternate Versions

Certain prints of the movie have the sex scene between Adso and The Girl removed in order to comply with local laws.

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Connections

Referenced in TruInside: Heathers (2016)

User Reviews

The Novel Predates the Davinci Code by 20 years

A number of people have commented on the similarity of this film, and the Novel by Umberto Eco, to the DaVinci Code. For those who were not born then, The Name of the Rose was published in 1980, thus predating DaVinci by about 20 or more years. I must admit that I found DaVinci to be a mass market popularization of Eco's theme, in short a "rip off". Still, it may be the popularity of Brown's novel which has resulted in Name of the Rose being brought back in a DVD version, and for that I am truly thankful.

For a film which was not favorably reviewed by the critics, it is surprising how many reviewers 20 years later are giving it a 10. Either the film wore well or tastes have changed. I loved the film first time around and was delighted to find it on DVD. Certainly the screenplay had to deviate from the philosophizing of the book. It would have been almost unwatchably "talkie" had it not, and those of us who want to read the sermons/discussions can read the book. The film stands on it's own.

The most ominous feeling for me, living in the religious and politically free thinking 21st century, was the realization that the church had such a grip on every aspect of life and thinking in the middle ages, and that any perceived repudiation of accepted Church dogma was deemed heresy and punishable by torture and a horrible death. That one group of people should wield such power, and the length they would go to to hold on to that power is truly frightening. The rigid class structure where the nobility and church owned the land which the peasants worked, and supported those above them while being kept down by those above, was very well conveyed in the film. Life was short and hard, health was poor and the plague could return at any time, carrying off those who had not been carried off by the incessant wars. Not a pleasant age to live. The period of the film is set just prior to the reformation. It is hardly surprising that the teachings of the various religious orders began to be questioned.