The Name of the Rose (1986)

My Review

“The Name of the Rose” is a medieval murder mystery where a monk and his young novice travel from England to a Northern Italian abbey for a theological conference only to find fellow monks dying mysteriously. The pair investigate and find more than expected, with the drama proceeding from there. Director Jean-Jacques Annaud created an engrossing film with a bit of an uneven storyline, due to spotty writing the four screenwriters.

The cast is headed by Sean Connery and Christian Slater as the two monks. They have good chemistry, the veteran Connery and newcomer Slater, who has gone on to a brilliant career. Co-stars include F. Murray Abraham, Ron Perlman, Leopoldo Trieste, William Hickey, Kim Rossi Stuart, and Valentina Vargas as The Girl. The watchable 131 minute picture “The Name of the Rose” was a success at the box office for ZDF, France 3 Cinema, RAI, Nelson Entertainment, and Columbia Pictures. It was filmed in Italy and Germany.