The Name of the Rose

This 1986-adaptation of Umberto Eco’s best-selling novel ticks all the right boxes and stars former ‘James Bond’ Sean Connery as a medieval sleuth who is tasked with getting to the bottom of a series of bizarre murders in a monastery. Cue for mystery, witchcraft, religious fanaticism, all of which are linked to a forbidden book stacked away in the building’s labyrinthine library. The film, which has just been released in Limited Edition 4K UHD and Blu-ray format, also features a teenage Christian Slater as Connery’s apprentice.

The year is 1327 and Franciscan Friar William of Baskerville (S. Connery) and his young novice Adso of Melk (C. Slater) arrive at a remote Benedictine monastery in Northern Italy (the interior scenes were filmed in the brooding Eberbach monastery in Eltville in Germany’s Rhinegau area). It’s bitterly cold (as it was during filming) and the monks (one uglier than the other) hope that Baskerville will be able to solve the mystery surrounding the suicide of a young illuminator, an unfortunate occurrence which dampens the spirit of an impending and important theological Church conference. Only that Baskerville doesn’t believe it was suicide. Yet, the abbey’s monks go about their daily prayers and business. Only the Abbot (Michael Lonsdale) acts as if he might know something though says nothing. Nonetheless, Baskerville gets permission to dig deeper.

Unfortunately for Baskerville and Adso, more bizarre deaths occur over the following days, including the obvious murder of Venantius (Urs Althaus), a Moor whose main duties in the monastery were those of a translator. When his corpse is discovered upside down in a huge barrel filled with pig’s blood, feet sticking out, even the most sceptical monks now have to admit that the gruesome deaths are no coincidence… As he continues with his investigations, Baskerville establishes an obvious connection between the victims, namely blackened tongues and fingers (ink?) which in turn are connected to a missing book. Those who attempt to find it have to pay with their lives, or so it would seem. Meanwhile, Adso - temporarily straying from his spiritual vocation, allows himself to be seduced by a young peasant girl (Valentina Vargas), who has managed to sneak into the abbey to trade flesh for food (it was presumably this steamy scene which got the film an 18-rating in the UK). And there’s Salvatore (Ron Perlman), a hideous hunchback who utters near incomprehensible words in various languages and whose ‘protector’ is Remigio de Varagine (Helmut Qualtinger). Baskerville is certain that in the past, both used to be members of a heretical sect - but does this mean they are involved in the killings?

Baskerville’s investigations are seriously hampered by the arrival of grand inquisitor Bernardo Giu (F. Murray Abraham), whose religious fanaticism and consequent narrow-minded attitudes towards more liberal and more intellectual thinking had even landed Baskerville in prison at one point. Varagine hates Giu for the same narrow-mindedness and his general hypocritical attitude and makes no secret out of it. While Baskerville continues his ‘detective work’ by means of logic and intellect, Giu is certain that the deaths are linked to Satan after the peasant girl and Salvatore are involved in a fight over a cockerel, and in the presence of a black cat. Oh dear! Yes, the girl and Salvatore must be in league with Satan and Giu extracts a false confession from the unfortunate Salvatore after a few rounds of torture in the abbey’s dungeon. He, the girl and Varagine are condemned by Giu to be burned at the stake outside the abbey walls when, on the evening of the scheduled executions, Baskerville and Adso discover the forbidden library and with it Venerable Jorge de Burgos (Feodor Chaliapin Jr.) - another fanatic in the vein of Giu, who is strictly against laughter, comedy and wit and who guards the ‘lost’ book all the fuss is about - namely ‘Aristotle’s Poetics’, a book written by a ‘pagan’ which defends comedy and laughter! In the ensuing fight over the book, which Jorge now attempts to destroy after having been discovered, a lantern is accidentally knocked over and within minutes, the library is on fire before the flames spread through the entire monastery. This happens around the same time as the three stakes are lit - causing distraction and confusion among the bystanders which will save one soul while another receives his just punishment…

Engaging from beginning to end, this medieval murder mystery is splendidly acted (in particular by Connery, Perman and Abraham) while the overall doom and gloom atmosphere and the somewhat sinister setting complement the overall menace.

The Limited Edition release is presented in a sturdy slipcase, together with a 120-page book and six collectors art cards, while both releases come with the following bonus material: audio commentaries, interviews (including an insightful interview with Christian Slater, who recollects his experiences during filming), plus ‘The Abbey of Crime’: Umberto Eco’s The Name of the Rose.