Prophecies of the Apocalypse and mysteriously dying monks make for an effective murder mystery thriller set in an isolated, Fourteenth Century Benedictine abbey. Sean Connery looks like he might have been made for the role of William von Baskerville, exuding a worldly wisdom to go with his venerable appearance. His young ward Adso (Christian Slater) does appear somewhat a lightweight by comparison, though the Franciscan brothers do complement each other quite well. The story turns on a virtually unknown sect called the Dolcinites, notorious for murdering wealthy priests and bishops who corrupted the Christian principles of poverty. An intriguing aspect of the story resulted in a debate on whether Christ owned the clothes he wore, something I've never even had occasion to consider before. Some of the story elements get a bit confusing and muddled, although the Sherlock Holmes type instincts of Brother William eventually discern the cause of deaths at the abbey, even if he has to place his own life in jeopardy at the hands of the Grand Inquisitor, Bernardo Gui (F. Murray Abraham). There's an effective sequence that takes place in the labyrinthine alleys of the abbey's secretive library, home to volumes of forbidden books and texts that their protector wishes to remain undiscovered. And there's a monumental test of Adso's vow of celibacy that he monumentally fails. Needless to say, this is an offbeat murder mystery in an offbeat setting, and made with an eye toward bump in the night creepiness. Say your prayers before and after watching.

Umberto Eco (1932 – 2016) has been always difficult to handle. More so after he is already dead and have left a solid legacy. "Name of the Rose" (1986), both the novel and the film, have inspired considerable acclaim now in its 30th anniversary. Perhaps the movie guild should make an effort to prepare a new critical edition since the last release from 2004 on DVD and Blu-ray, which is good but outdated.I thought some time before writing these lines. It says in the introductory cadres of the film - a Palimpsest on Umberto Eco's Novel! Definition from Gerard Genette (1982) - "Palimpsest examines the manifold relationships a text may have with prior texts ... In this regard it treats the history and nature of parody, anti-novels, pastiches, caricatures, commentary, allusions, imitations and other textual relations". Wikipedia can provide further extension on this definition. This is in essence literature in the second degree!Then came the pressure of semiotics - What is it all about? I have a huge library, some 10 000 volumes that I have purchased with my pocket money for many years on a row. My selection here is with David Crystal (editor) "Encyclopedia of Language", where unfortunately Umberto Eco is not included as semiotician. By-and-large starting with Charles Peirce and Ferdinand de Saussure, we get here an updated scheme on Semiotics where subject matter is three-some or five-some:1. Auditory or vocal language with speech, musical effects, vocal cord physiology, etc;2. Body language or non-verbal communication with A/ Visual mode with signs and symbols, writing, kinesics; B/ Tactile mode for deaf and blind with codes, proxemics, etc;3. Olfactory and gustatory signals which is bio-semiotics and predominantly models communication in the animal kingdom.I hope that my reflections haven't hurt anyone, not least the estate of the author himself. My humble origins doesn't give me a single chance to become celebrity like Umberto Eco. I live in the fringes of Europe and my home town Sofia - although having perfect record of European residence - have been overshadowed by Turkish and Soviet populace. I don't see much future in those places and much less opportunities for science and film industry. However, future is with the young generation and people like me live on minimal retirement pension, with reflections on the past. Thank you!

One of my favorite films, I have crossed paths with allot of film buffs that have this film on their shelf, out of all the films I claimed to be the best they have fallen off over the years but this one remains in the same spot, to me this is because it is so immersed in its setting. the characters and supporting characters have a purpose and you could almost understand their life story by looking at them, everything has a lived purpose about it and is weighed to the world it represents. Flawless, this film should be in every film school and studied with a close eye.The film has gotten allot of attention on release, but unlike allot of films that fall to the side and time beats them into submission. if you have not seen it, go out and do so. A stand out film that has a pulse

A detective story set at an Abbey in the Middle Ages. Any story based on that premise should normally have a contrived feel to it, but this movie manages to pull it off quite well. William of Baskerville (Sean Connery) and his apprentice, Adso of Melk (Christian Slater), two Franciscan monks go to an isolated Benedictine Abbey to attend some sort of a Medieval theological conference. At the same time the Abbey is plagued by a series of unnatural deaths which most of the monks are willing to pin unto the devil and a prophecy. William is unwilling to accept this explanation, and with the help of Adso, looks for a logical solution. The cinematography, production design and costumes are brilliant and help us, the viewers, see why the period was called the Dark Ages. The social ills of the time - exploitation of the poor, suppression of free thinking or any kind of descent, Kangaroo courts, harsh punishments, misogyny, etc. - are all vividly brought to life. The movie does not have a single unimportant scene and yet its length also conveys the monotony of the monastery life.Connery does justice to the role of a well-studied, devout yet reasoning monk who commands the respect of even those who are against his way of thinking. F. Murray Abraham as Berdardo Gui, the Inquisitor properly inspires hatred in us and we also see why he inspires such fear in the monks. Slater portrays the learning curve of his character pretty well. The supporting cast of monks have been chosen as much for their ugliness as their acting ability. Collectively they give a creepy and repulsive feel to the Abbey and make us pity any young/handsome monk who may have the misfortune of landing there. There are only a couple of points to nitpick on. The peasant girl who portrayed Slater's love interest should have had a few speaking lines; there was no reason why she should appear to be mute. And, the set design of the library is obviously inconsistent; there is no way the sets we see as its interior would fit into a building the size of the set we are shown as its exterior.Its is a must watch for all period movie lovers and Connery fans.