JohnDoe
Bryn
BrentonThe Name of the Rose (1986) - Footage Included
May 21st 2008 00:01
Deity Sanctioned Power Corrupts the Kindest Beauty
DVD Available in Australia
Starring:Sean Connery, Christian Slater, Ron Perlman, F Murray Abraham, William Hickey
“Laughter kills fear, and without fear there can be no faith because without fear of the Devil, there is no more need of God.” – Jorge De Burgos
Der Name Der Rose, is a French/Italian production based on the novel by Umberto Eco. It’s a murder mystery set within the confines of a 13th century monastery that contemplates the eternal riddle of religions essential theology of absolute faith. The quest for knowledge means every answer will invariably lead to a question, there is no absolute wisdom. If the only truth can be found in god’s words, does this mean that evil thrives in the open mind?
The Monastery has much to tell
The Monks of this isolated abbey have shed their individualism, painfully devoted in their overwhelming conviction to the gospel. When untimely death strikes one of the order the Anti Christ is the preordained conspirator.
William of Baskerville - "The only evidence I see of the antichrist here is everyones desire to see him at work."
Against the grain, William of Baskerville (Sean Connery) and his young acolyte Adso of Melk (Christian Slater) arrive to this sanctuary of intense worship. Just in time to witness and investigate the aftermath of the suspected murder.
Adso of Melk - "Having reached the end of my poor sinner's life, my hair now white, I prepare to leave on this parchment my testimony as to the wondrous and terrible events that I witnessed in my youth, towards the end of the year of our Lord 1327. May God grant me the wisdom and grace to be the faithful chronicler of the happenings that took place in a remote abbey in the dark north of Italy. An abbey whose name it seems, even now, pious and prudent to omit."
A voracious thinker, William eagerly contemplates the clues with his eyes and ears. The puzzle is afoot and irresistible to his mind. This is a studied man with astute Sherlock Holmes like deductive abilities
William of Baskerville - "My dear Adso, we must not allow ourselves to be influenced by irrational rumors of the Antichrist, hmm? Let us instead exercise our brains and try to solve this tantalizing conundrum."
The innocent, coming of age Adso serves as our narrator, standing humble in the haloed walls with curiosity about its committed occupants. The eyes of youth are shocked by the absolute poverty that lies just outside the brick and mortar compound.
William of Baskerville - "Have you ever known a place where God WOULD have felt at home?"
So it is in this medieval age that the secret peccadilloes and sins of inhabitants will be prodded by an aging sleuth while temptations of the flesh and fear of the unexplained will test the uninitiated to life.
William of Baskerville - "We are very fortunate to have such snowy ground here. It is often the parchment on which the criminal unwittingly writes his autograph. Now, what do you read from these footprints here?"
Light and dark. Dark and light.
John Doe says:
A moody, velvet brimstone atmosphere carefully shuffles the corridors. The tale of intrigue thickens with excitement and suspense. Every face challenging conformity within a place of insatiable servitude to the lord, The Name of the Rose is about many things.
It’s about intellectual, spiritual and physical awakening, about sacrifice and the responsibility of wisdom and faith. It’s also much more, depending on how deep you want to gaze into its tapestry of eloquent scripting and enlightening shadowed corridors cinematography.
Director Jean-Jacques Annaud (The Bear, Enemy at the Gates, Two Brothers) is all class, he manages an ethereal majesty that permeates from this historically minded mix of truth and fiction. Impressively incorporating sprinkles of comedy, shrouded in unspoken danger while achieving moments of horror within a thriller that stays steady at all times.
The sound design skilfully uses silence to its advantage and adds to placing the audience within the solemn location. The scenes in the labyrinth library are brilliantly staged and best of all engage the emotions as well as mind.
The screenplay is a deft concoction that combines elements of the traditional who-dunit motif with serious history about the dreaded dark ages. Straying from the source in certain places there is no denying the tone and questions raised are inline with the original author’s intent.
Many of the cast playing monks in the film were cast because of their, how can I put it delicately, ugliness. Each face is unique and scorches on the psyche making it easy to tell whose who, even in full garb.
It’s hard to believe but at this stage in his career Sean Connery (The Hill, The Offence, From Russia With Love) was not considered a bankable star and so maybe had something to prove with this role. Regardless, his performance is noticeably impressive showing cracks of vulnerability and even fear while maintain the stoic charisma he seems to achieve effortlessly. Though buying the former James Bond to a vow of celibacy takes time to accept.
Christian Slater (Heathers, Pump Up The Volume, Very Bad Things, True Romance) was just 15 when he broke his big screen cherry in this film with a nude scene. Sure his mother was casting Director but his talent is what makes his part completely convincing. Few of the Jack Nicholson facial ticks come into play and his wide eyed amazement and confusion at the world has a genuine allure.
Ron Perlman (City of Lost Children) as the symbolically deformed Salvatore breaks the heart despite the external appearances.
I'll give you Hellboy!
William Hickey (Prizzi's Honor, Mikey and Nickey) as the aging friend of Connery’s character is poignant and frightening in equal measure.
F Murray Abraham (Amadeus) delivers the wrath we expect as a deluded Inquisitor whose corrupt power is a frenzy of tainted morality.
After not seeing this film for a good 15 years John Doe was blown away by how much power hides inside the exciting plot. What was remembered as a damn good yarn, is now something much more important. Sure it’s still exhilarating and thoughtful, but the provocative answers the film seeks to ponder just feel more important now.
The Name of the Rose - A compilation of memorable bytes that may spoil surprises for those who have not seen it.
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