| Photos (see all 21 | slideshow) |
| Sean Connery | ... | William of Baskerville | |
| Christian Slater | ... | Adso of Melk | |
| Helmut Qualtinger | ... | Remigio da Varagine | |
| Elya Baskin | ... | Severinus | |
| Michael Lonsdale | ... | The Abbot | |
| Volker Prechtel | ... | Malachia | |
| Feodor Chaliapin Jr. | ... | Jorge de Burgos | |
| William Hickey | ... | Ubertino da Casale | |
| Michael Habeck | ... | Berengar | |
| Urs Althaus | ... | Venantius | |
| Valentina Vargas | ... | The Girl | |
| Ron Perlman | ... | Salvatore | |
| Leopoldo Trieste | ... | Michele da Cesena | |
| Franco Valobra | ... | Jerome of Kaffa | |
| Vernon Dobtcheff | ... | Hugh of Newcastle | |
| Donald O'Brien | ... | Pietro d'Assisi (as Donal O'Brian) | |
| Andrew Birkin | ... | Cuthbert of Winchester | |
| F. Murray Abraham | ... | Bernardo Gui | |
| Lucien Bodard | ... | Cardinal Bertrand | |
| Peter Berling | ... | Jean d'Anneaux | |
| Pete Lancaster | ... | Bishop of Alborea | |
| Dwight Weist | ... | Voice of Adso as an Old Man (voice) | |
| Franco Adducci | ... | Monk | |
| Niko Brücher | ... | Monk | |
| Aristide Caporale | ... | Monk (as Aristide Caporali) | |
| Fabio Carfora | ... | Monk | |
| Peter Clös | ... | Monk | |
| Mario Diano | ... | Monk | |
| Fabrizio Fontana | ... | Monk | |
| Rolando Fucili | ... | Monk | |
| Valerio Isidori | ... | Monk | |
| Luigi Leoni | ... | Monk (as Luigi Leone) | |
| Armando Marra | ... | Monk | |
| Maurizio Mauri | ... | Monk | |
| Ludger Pistor | ... | Monk | |
| Francesco Scali | ... | Monk | |
| Maria Tedeschi | ... | Monk | |
| Andrea Tilli | ... | Monk | |
| Ennio Lollainni | ... | Swineherd | |
| Emil Feist | ... | Swineherd | |
| Francesco Maselli | ... | Swineherd | |
| Renato Nebolini | ... | Swineherd | |
| Antonio Cetta | ... | Peasant | |
| Franco Covielleo | ... | Peasant | |
| Daniele Ferretti | ... | Peasant | |
| Sabatino Gennardo | ... | Peasant | |
| Luciano Invidia | ... | Peasant | |
| Mauro Leoni | ... | Peasant | |
| Massimiliano Scarpa | ... | Peasant | |
| Umberto Zuanelli | ... | Peasant | |
| Mark Bellinghaus | ... | Jorge's Novice | |
| David Furtwaengler | ... | Novice (as David Furtwängler) | |
| Patric Kreuzer | ... | Novice (as Patrick Kreuzer) | |
| Kim Rossi Stuart | ... | Novice (as Kim Rossi-Stuart) | |
| Lars Bodin-Jorgensen | ... | Adelmo | |
| Franco Diogene | ... | Papal Envoy | |
| Giordano Falzoni | ... | Papal Envoy | |
| Eckehard Koch | ... | Papal Envoy | |
| Gina Poli | ... | Papal Envoy | |
| Gianni Rizzo | ... | Papal Envoy | |
| Lothar Schoenbrodt | ... | Papal Envoy (as Lothar Schönbrodt) | |
| Vittorio Zarfati | ... | Papal Envoy | |
| Carlo Bianchino | ... | Papal Guard | |
| Eugenio Bonardi | ... | Inquisition Guard | |
| Pietro Ceccarelli | ... | Inquisition Guard | |
| Franco Marino | ... | Inquisition Guard | |
| Hans Schödel | ... | Inquisition Guard | |
| Peter Welz | ... | Nero | |
| Alberto Capone | ... | Executioner | |
| rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
| Gaston Bonheur | ... | Monk (uncredited) | |
Directed by | |||
| Jean-Jacques Annaud | |||
Writing credits | ||
| Umberto Eco | (novel "Il nome della rosa") | |
| Andrew Birkin | (screenplay) & | |
| Gérard Brach | (screenplay) & | |
| Howard Franklin | (screenplay) & | |
| Alain Godard | (screenplay) | |
| Jean-Jacques Annaud | uncredited | |
Original Music by | |||
| James Horner | |||
Cinematography by | |||
| Tonino Delli Colli | |||
Film Editing by | |||
| Jane Seitz | |||
Casting by | |||
| Gianni Arduini | |||
| Dominique Besnehard | |||
| Celestia Fox | |||
| David Rubin | |||
| Sabine Schroth | |||
| Lynn Stalmaster | |||
Production Design by | |||
| Dante Ferretti | |||
Art Direction by | |||
| Toni Lüdi | |||
Set Decoration by | |||
| Francesca Lo Schiavo | |||
Costume Design by | |||
| Gabriella Pescucci | |||
Makeup Department | |||
| Klaus Börmert | .... | special makeup effects artist (as Klaus Boerrnert) | |
| Renato Francola | .... | special makeup effects artist | |
| Ilona Herman | .... | makeup artist: Mr. Connery | |
| Frederike Reimer | .... | makeup artist | |
| Gerhard Reitinger | .... | makeup artist | |
| Hans Jürgen Schmelzle | .... | makeup artist | |
| Maurizio Silvi | .... | special makeup effects artist | |
| Hasso von Hugo | .... | supervising makeup artist | |
Production Management | |||
| Franco Caduti | .... | production manager | |
| Marco Giannoni | .... | unit manager | |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director | |||
| Gianni Arduini | .... | first assistant director | |
| Enrico Marrari | .... | assistant director (as Andrea Marrari) | |
| Laura Petrella | .... | assistant director (as Laura Petrella-Elek) | |
| Margot Rothkirch | .... | second assistant director | |
| Victor Tourjansky | .... | first assistant director | |
Art Department | |||
| Laurence Duval Annaud | .... | storyboard supervisor | |
| Luigi Sergianni | .... | construction manager | |
| Bruno Tempera | .... | property master | |
| Enki Bilal | .... | graphic researcher (uncredited) | |
Sound Department | |||
| Milan Bor | .... | sound mixer | |
| Friedrich M. Dosch | .... | foley editor | |
| Heiner Harss | .... | foley artist | |
| Norbert Herzner | .... | supervising sound editor | |
Stunts | |||
| Sergio Mioni | .... | stunt coordinator | |
| Stefano Maria Mioni | .... | stunt double | |
| Angelo Ragusa | .... | stunts | |
Camera and Electrical Department | |||
| Eraldo Barbona | .... | grip | |
| Robert Willoughby | .... | special still photographer (uncredited) | |
Costume and Wardrobe Department | |||
| Alberto Spiazzi | .... | assistant costume designer | |
Music Department | |||
| Robert Hathaway | .... | music editor | |
| Harry Schnitzler | .... | music recording engineer | |
Other crew | |||
| Laurence Duval Annaud | .... | script supervisor | |
| Padre Angelo Arpa | .... | religious advisor | |
| Jean-Yves Asselin | .... | location manager | |
| Stephan Beringer | .... | assistant: Mr. Connery | |
| Christopher Cruise | .... | dialogue director | |
| Christopher Cruise | .... | script advisor | |
| Roy Everson | .... | stand-in: Mr. Connery | |
| Walter Fiordelmondo | .... | production assistant | |
| Anna Gross | .... | production executive | |
| Jacques Le Goff | .... | historical advisor | |
| Ian Underwood | .... | synthesizer programmer | |
| Frans J. Afman | .... | financial consultant (uncredited) | |
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| The Da Vinci Code | Terza madre, La | The Godfather | Basic Instinct | Luther |
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| Full cast and crew | Company credits | External reviews |
| IMDb Drama section | IMDb France section | Add this title to MyMovies |
'Variety' got it completely wrong when they called this film "sorrowfully mediocre" and "sluggishly staged". For in all honesty The Name of the Rose is one of the greatest films of the '80s, and a film that grows in greatness every time you revisit it. Based on a major bestselling novel by Umberto Eco, the film is an excellent murder mystery further heightened by its authentic period trappings and a clutch of tremendous performances.
Brother William of Baskerville (Sean Connery) and his young apprentice Adso (Christian Slater) are monks who arrive in a 14th Century monastery having been summoned for a religious conference. Soon after their arrival, a series of bloodthirsty murders take place and the friars still alive begin to fear that either the Apocalypse is upon them, or a highly disturbed individual is out to bump them off. Brother William has a penchant for sleuthing, so he probes into the mysterious deaths and discovers that each victim had laid his eyes upon a Greek manuscript hidden deep within the interior of the monastery. He gradually realises that the killer must be targeting those who know of the book's existence, but just as he is about to solve the killings an inquisitor (F. Murray Abraham) arrives and tries to discredit Brother William's theories, preferring to blame the crimes on non-existent heretics and satanists.
The film is very realistic in every way - the cold, uncomfortable monastery; the graphic murders; grotesque and disfigured characters; a startlingly explicit sex scene; authentic-sounding dialogue; excellent indoor and outdoor locations; and well-researched costume designs. Furthermore, it is a superbly paced film, never in too great a hurry to unravel but never so slow that it becomes a plod. Connery is great as the hero, surpassed only by Abraham in a breathtaking role as Bernardo Gui the inquisitor, and Slater does well considering his tender age as the loyal apprentice. Both Roy Scheider and Michael Caine were short-listed for the Connery role, but I don't see how either actor could've done better with the character. Jean Jacques Annaud directs outstandingly, capturing every shadow, every expression and every plot piece with the eye that only a director obsessed with his material possibly can. The Name of the Rose makes the top #50 of the 1980s without question.