The Name of the Rose

Annaud's vision of the Middle Ages as dirty and harsh is remarkable and captivates the viewer right from the start. The portrayal of the characters is also solid – I haven't read the book, which obviously affects my objectivity. However, the brilliant first half is followed by a noticeably boring part. Although the mysteries and puzzles around the murders are revealed, I still occasionally couldn't help but feel bored. I don't have much to say about the ending and it fits the film quite well. And even though The Name of the Rose is undoubtedly a quality piece of filmmaking, one viewing is enough for me in this case. Annaud is one of the few filmmakers who shows us the Middle Ages with a maximum dose of brutality and reality, but personally, it didn't appeal to me as much as I would have expected from a director of his caliber. (11/15/2005)

I remember almost nothing of the book, which I once read in high school and now understandably want to reread, and maybe that's for the best. I didn't have to compare what was different in the film and what didn't get into it, and I just watched it tensely and had fun for two hours. The film is an excellent medieval detective story with an overlap for a slightly more knowledgeable viewer, has a million-dollar atmosphere and a first-class cast with Sean Connery in the main super role. (11/06/2016)

Annaud does not present us, like most other filmmakers, with a slick medievalism, but with a dirty era, dirty and ugly people, his vision of the Middle Ages is flawless. Connery's scholarly demeanor exudes respect and wisdom, I'd go to hell and back with him. The book is supposedly much better, but those who haven't read it may not care, the film is excellent. (05/08/2003)

Umberto Eco certainly wrote a great template - and I will definitely get to it one day - but this movie is also great. One would not believe that this detective story will actually be entertaining, thrilling, frightening, and on top of it all, it will have a deeper meaning in how it leans on faith and on the individual. A great genre blend that works perfectly. (03/09/2015)

Fans of Umberto Eco will probably slam the film – where are the master's many layers, where is the diversity of reading that makes the book a unique work? Well, it evaporated in the medieval fog. Annaud's The Name of the Rose is a nice detective story with a good atmosphere and a thrilling plot, but it completely lacks a sophisticated symbolic plane... but that doesn't hurt it. If you want to deal with puzzles above all, look for Eco, and for those who above all want a nice story, then you want Annaud. Just don't mix them up! (01/31/2004)