The Name of the Rose
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Movie Reviews of The Name of the Rose
Movie Review: Very good movie
Summary: 4 Stars
The movie so excellant. The actors were believable. The story was great.Movie Review: A dark gripping tale - a 12th century murder in an abbey
Summary: 5 Stars
Through the narrative of Adso (Christian Slater) at an old age, he recalled the enigma about the death of a young monk, illustrator Adelmo, in an abbey which took place at his youth. His then teacher, the intelligent William of Baskerville (Sean Connery), lent his previous onerous experiences to lead the investigation. Through the dialogue with his teacher, Adso learnt how wisdom, combined with acute observation and a wealth of knowledge, could eventually unravel the intriguing mystery. Sean Connery was superb; he was worldly and convincing as the wise teacher just as Christian Slater was young and innocent. The teacher was as shrewd as Sherlock Holmes but he was as loving and understanding to his prot?g? as he possibly could. They made a fine couple.
The creepy darkness and secretive air evoked by the whole film is visually enhanced by the abbey on a snowy mountain, the awesome library towers, the road that winded its way down the mountain and many strange images. The cast of the strange monks was so well chosen that they still leave vivid images in my mind after more than 20 years since I first saw it. The abbot, the old Venerable Jorge, the blind prophet Ubertino, the black Greek translator Venantius, the fat self inflicting assistant librarian Berenger, the stony libarian Malachia, the hunchback Salvatore.
Apart from the murder mystery, Bernardo Gui (F. Murray Abraham, Amadeus) of the Inquisition represented the power which brother William was up against. The whole film evokes the thrill of discovering a dark secret in such dangerous waters, an era and hierarchy that even brother William could barely survive with all his wits. It also accentuates the essence of the mentor tradition in that era, building up a continuum of knowledge through William, then through Adso and so on.
What the movie lacked - lush colors - it more than made up for with its mix of danger, mystery and colorful portrayal of hideous human nature. It paid off handsomely to use unfamiliar faces for the mysterious characters; a wide pool of talents to choose from rather than limited to the existing big box office guarantee. A suspenseful tale back to its basics, with no frills (no overpowering special effects, computer animation and stars), it excels at the captivating story plot, wonderful cast and acting. A truly successful adaption of the Umberto Eco's novel, in spirit at least.
Movie Review: One of my favorite films
Summary: 4 Stars
In spite of a story that is, ultimately, formulaic; there is very much to like in this movie and it is that rare film I enjoy revisiting from time to time.
Why? Since I read the book first, it never has been about the who-done-it for me.
The highlights are Connery's performance and the wonderful atmospherics. I judge a historic book or film successful if it gives me a believable sense of how people in that time and place experienced their world. At that, this film succeeds very well.
In part, this is because we see everything through the eyes of a teenage boy (Christian Slater), who is recalling the events as a very old man. There is a wonderful scene early in the film, when Connery and Slater's characters first arrive at the abbey, where we get a feeling for both the wonder and terror Slater's character experiences as he sees the Abbey's majestic chapel as well as its parade of horribles for the first time.
This film is a masterful adaptation of the book. I can't imagine how it could have been done better. However, as with many movie adaptations of popular novels, there are small details you will miss if you haven't read the book.
For example, Brother William and virtually every other character has a history, which is known in whole or part by some or all of the other characters. For 14th century monastics, it's a small world.
The movie is still perfectly understandable without the viewer knowing that history, but the movie respects those viewers who have read the book by making the characters act in a way that is consistent with their backstory.
Movie Review: Very creepy, entertaining film with Sean Connery
Summary: 4 Stars
This is a dark, creepy, mystery movie in which the writer didn't get too far out there with the plot. Often in films like this, the writers make the ultimate mystery solution incredibly complicated and unrealistic. This film, on the other hand, is just complex enough to make it intriguing, while still scoring high on the realism index.
As much as I liked this film, I will say that Sean Connery is one the key reasons. Without him, the film would probably lose a star. This is one of his best performances. F. Murray Abraham is also at his best, as the incredibly evil inquisitioner. Christian Slater is not bad. The other actors in the film seem to have been found from a traveling freak show or they had the best makeup artist ever. What an odd looking bunch!
The film doesn't over-do the gore and depicts very little violence. Torture and murder typically happen off screen. The Catholic church definitely gets a black eye here. All of the monks and clergy (aside from Sean C.) are shown as being at least 3 of the following: evil, ulgy, sexually active (straight and gay), and generally very dumb. However, I like to think that a lot of that is due the the century (14th) that the mystery occurs in, and therefore things were much more primitive. Still, Catholics may be offended if they're not already desensitized by every other film that features Catholic clergy.
The mystery itself is a good one that should keep you guessing. Sean Connery is the only logical person in the movie, and he is your tour guide toward the solution. I enjoyed the film, as I think most will. Just manage your expectations, as this is a good film, but not one of the great ones.
Movie Review: What monks do in their spare time
Summary: 5 Stars
I'm a huge fan of Umberto Eco's novel and this is a near perfect film adaption. Sadly, it's also one of the most under-rated. Sean Connery gives his last truly great performance as Brother William, F. Murray Abraham is chilling and even Christian Slater manages not to annoy. If you've never read the book then it needs to go to the top of your reading list. It's one of the greatest mystery novels of this past century. The DVD is Great too, lots of cool special features for a price that won't strain your budget. Well worth picking up if your into atmospheric who-done-its, gothic horror, or mediaeval ickiness.