The Name of the Rose – The Name of the Rose (1986)

Directed by: Jean-Jacques Annaud | 130 minutes | drama, crime, thriller | Actors: Sean Connery, Christian Slater, F. Murray Abraham, Helmut Qualtinger, Elya Baskin, Michael Lonsdale, Ron Perlman, William Hickey, Michael Habeck

With all the (American) commotion that took place about Dan Brown’s book: ‘The Da Vinci Code’, the film company that has ‘The Name of the Rose’ under its care profits. The theme of this book also deals with the ‘hidden and dark sides of the Christian faith’. After all, all the commotion that has anything to do with a critical attitude is bad for fundamentalist believers. Fortunately, the controversy has not become a red rag that attracts thrill seekers. ‘The Name of the Rose’ is a good film that stands firmly in its shoes.

The special thing about this film is that, despite all the interference from outside, the print has become a coherent whole. This Annaud production is co-financed by West Germany, Italy and France. This is especially noticeable in the mixed company of actors. You can quickly hear the actors’ native language from the different accents. It’s not really disturbing because the acting is above average.

Sean Connery, in particular, is fantastic in his role as a sleuthing monk. With a big nod to Sherlock Holmes and with his characteristic hypothermic humour, the Scot creates a beautiful character, without falling into a stereotypical figure. F. Murray Abraham also stands out in a positive way. His character only appears briefly, but the actor knows how to use this time well and leaves a strong mark on this film. The same goes for Ron “Hellboy” Perlman, who plays a beautiful role as a mentally disturbed monk. Actually, no actor is bad in this production.

In addition to the excellent performances, the costumes also contribute a lot to the atmosphere of the film. Everything in this print exudes coldness. The dark, austere colors are everywhere in ‘The Name of the Rose’. Combined with the gritty murder mystery and dark sides of the church, this creates a grim, oppressive atmosphere. The detective element is very exciting. The fairly clichéd fact of the calibrated characters, via the Lombroso theory of the external characteristics of perpetrators – read: ugly men with big noses and thick eyebrows – is told satisfactorily. Recommended.