| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Sean Connery | ... | ||
| Christian Slater | ... | ||
| Helmut Qualtinger | ... | ||
| Elya Baskin | ... | ||
| Michael Lonsdale | ... | ||
| Volker Prechtel | ... | ||
| Feodor Chaliapin Jr. | ... | ||
| William Hickey | ... | ||
| Michael Habeck | ... | ||
| Urs Althaus | ... |
Venantius
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| Valentina Vargas | ... | ||
| Ron Perlman | ... | ||
| Leopoldo Trieste | ... |
Michele da Cesena
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Franco Valobra | ... |
Jerome of Kaffa
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| Vernon Dobtcheff | ... |
Hugh of Newcastle
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1327. After a mysterious death in a Benedictine Abbey, the monks are convinced that the apocalypse is coming. With the Abbey to play host to a council on the Franciscan's Order's belief that the Church should rid itself of wealth, William of Baskerville, a respected Franciscan friar, is asked to assist in determining the cause of the untimely death. Alas, more deaths occur as the investigation draws closer to uncovering the secret the Abbey wants hidden, and there is finally no stopping the Holy Inquisition from taking an active hand in the process. William and his young novice must race against time to prove the innocence of the unjustly accused and avoid the wrath of Holy Inquisitor Bernardo Gui. Written by Rick Munoz <[email protected]>
A murder mystery set in a monastery in the late middle ages, at a time when the Franciscan order and the Holy Inquisition were at odds, mostly over the extravagances of the Papacy, is a dark and moody film, which matches the period of the story well. Once again Sean Connery takes a difficult role and makes it uniquely his. Fifteen year old Christian Slater is seen in his breakout role. But the real star of the film is the library of the monastery, a labyrinthine building that is many floors high and created with stairways that seem to always lead away from where you want to go. I found the book, frankly tedious. Umberto Eco writes in a style that is very pedantic at times, and just plain confusing at others. But the story translated well to the screen, but you must be willing to exhaust a little brain sweat to get anything out of the story. Be well rested before you watch this one.