Der Name der Rose (1986)
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A Franciscan friar and his novice must solve a series of mysterious deaths within a medieval abbey's labyrinthine library.
The story
In the early 14th century, Franciscan friar William of Baskerville and his novice, Adso of Melk, arrive at a Benedictine abbey in Northern Italy. A mysterious death has occurred just before a significant theological conference, and William is granted permission to investigate. As the duo explores the abbey, they encounter a variety of characters, including a mysterious hunchback and a local girl. Their investigation leads them to a hidden, forbidden library containing ancient works. However, their efforts are complicated by the arrival of Bernardo Gui, a ruthless Inquisitor who is eager to find and punish those he believes are responsible for the deaths.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
William and Adso discover a labyrinthine library in the abbey's forbidden tower containing works by Classical masters, which are hidden because their pagan origins are difficult to reconcile with Christianity. They discover that the deaths are linked to a specific book: Aristotle's Second Book of Poetics. The head Librarian, Jorge, has poisoned the pages to stop the spread of 'dangerous' ideas. When confronted, Jorge sets the library on fire. During the chaos, the Inquisitor Bernardo Gui uses the presence of a black cat and a cockerel to falsely accuse Salvatore and Remigio of heresy, leading to their execution. The girl is freed by peasants during the fire, and Gui is killed in a confrontation. The film ends with a time skip where an older Adso reflects on his life, noting that while the girl was his only earthly love, he never learned her name.
- First release year
- 1986
- Runtime (minutes)
- 131
- Production countries
- Italy; West Germany; France
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Jean-Jacques Annaud
- Writers
- Andrew Birkin · screenplay; Gérard Brach · screenplay; Howard Franklin · screenplay; Alain Godard · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Sean Connery · William of Baskerville; F. Murray Abraham · Bernardo Gui; Feodor Chaliapin Jr. · Jorge de Burgos; William Hickey · Ubertino of Casale; Michael Lonsdale · The Abbot; Ron Perlman · Salvatore; Christian Slater · Adso of Melk; Valentina Vargas · The Girl
- Genres
- historical mystery; crime drama; mystery thriller
- Themes
- religion; forbidden knowledge; censorship; faith vs. reason
- Tone and mood
- mysterious; somber; intellectual
- Setting
- A medieval Benedictine abbey in Northern Italy during the early 14th century.
- Premise and plot tags
- medieval; mystery; religious; historical
- Source material / true-story basis
- The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco (1980)
- Reception
- The film received mixed to positive reviews from critics and was noted for its atmosphere and intellectual depth, though some critics found the story confused. It was successful in Germany and popular across Europe, despite a weaker performance in the United States.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 73% · scale: percentage · review count: 26; Metacritic · score: 54 · scale: 100 · review count: 12; CinemaScore · score: B+ · scale: A+ to F
- Awards and nominations
- César Award · Best Foreign Film · win; BAFTA Award · Best Actor in a Leading Role · win
- Production trivia
- The film was based on a novel by Umberto Eco.; A 4K restored version was released in France in 2024.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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