Mysterious murders, religious fanatics, dark conspiracies, historical plots, intriguing characters, good acting, awesome camera work and audio - this movie has it all. One of my favourite movies of all time, this is what a historical thriller should be like. Masterpiece.

An exciting detective story that had me guessing until the end, set in a very eery environment and time that got me sitting on the edge of my seat, a great take on universal morals like truth and love, and of course the idea that 'this might have happened for real' to top it all off. However: you need to be in the right mood to watch this, since it's a bit more than just mindless entertainment. First time I've seen it and in my mind already a timeless classic!

This could have been really good. An interesting beginning mystery and investigation, a little nice atmosphere inside the monastery and seeing what's going on, with the the mystery deepening a little over time. The protagonist is intelligent and thoughtful, and he's helping to guide an apprentice. There's a bit of discussion about religious beliefs. Nice subtle music. It feels like a well-made film in regards to the cinematopgraphy and does not look or feel old. And then the story drops like a stone. And the answer to the mystery is really bad... [spoiler] The killings were by an old guy... Because of a comedy book?! [/spoiler] It's very bad and one of the worst ways i can think of to resolve a mystery like this. It's not deep or interesting or fulfilled any scrap of potential. [spoiler] Such as, maybe the killings were something lovecraftian related. Or a clever serial killer. Or just some other reason normal or not, but at least not an old guy killing because he didn't want people reading a comedy book... [/spoiler] [spoiler] And to anyone reading this who hasn't seen the film, it's because this is the 1300s, the monk doesn't want people reading a comedy book because he says it's not good for them. That's it. [/spoiler]

The original title of the film is Der Name der Rose.

# Historical Context - Setting - 14th-century Italy - Avignon Papacy vs. Holy Roman Emperor - Inquisition and heresy trials # Themes and Symbolism - Metaphors - The Labyrinth Library: Knowledge as a trap/maze - Laughter: The subversive power of truth - The Book: Aristotelian 'Poetics' as the catalyst of fear # Cinematography and Sound - Visual Style - Chiaroscuro lighting - Emphasis on the claustrophobic stone architecture - Cold, earthen color palette - Atmosphere - Gregorian chants and dissonant liturgical music - Auditory focus on the weight of religious silence # Narrative Structure - Plot Mechanics - Whodunit mystery structure - Theological debate as sub-plot - Chronicle format (Adso’s retrospective narration) - Core Conflicts - Faith vs. Reason - Ecclesiastical power vs. Poverty - Literalism vs. Interpretation # Character Analysis - William of Baskerville - Rationalist archetype (Holmesian) - Advocate of empirical observation - Conflict between inquisitorial past and reformist present - Jorge of Burgos - Antagonist as a defender of absolute dogma - Fear of the transformative power of laughter # Summary Insights - The film posits that the greatest threat to dogmatic power is not necessarily heresy, but the democratization of knowledge through laughter and the questioning of absolute truths. - William of Baskerville serves as a bridge between medieval scholasticism and the nascent Renaissance spirit of scientific inquiry. - The 'Name' of the rose refers to the idea that names and language are all that remain once a thing has perished, highlighting the nominalist philosophical debate central to the era. - The library is portrayed as a fortress of gatekept information, reflecting the tension between the preservation of history and the fear of information's revolutionary potential.