There are fleeting introductions and then numerous references to Adelmo, Berengar, Venantius, Remigio, Salvatore, Malachi, Jorge (he’s the blind one, so that’s easy), Alinardo, Benno (he’s got the white-blond monk’s cut, so he’s also easy to recognize), a feral (but stylish!) girl known only as “the girl,” and Anna, best not mentioned for her religious subplot, which is possibly more confusing than the main story.īut at least you will recognize Turturro, who plays the Franciscan friar William of Baskerville, the drama’s key character. Your mileage may vary.Įco’s involved plot makes viewers work extra hard to identify the numerous Italian, French, Bavarian and English characters. This is also a period piece trying to wring drama from the confusion. Papal powers, class structure among holy orders, homosexual desires and the allure of witches and women are debated - 1327 was a wild time.

Sundance Acquires 'Name of the Rose' Starring John Turturroīetween the overly dramatic reaction shots, the Holmes-esque exposition and the variable performances, you can be forgiven for any reluctance to dive into the dense context of the story, which involves a fight over the separation of religion and politics between Ludwig of Bavaria, soon to be the Holy Roman Emperor, and the French pope, John XXII.

The “international series” fatigue sets in quickly, with the patchwork acting performances (and accents) tied to a story that feels quaint and antiquated, as if some characters are in a stage play, others are in a movie, and everybody is desperately searching for gravitas. Three episodes proved the breaking point.

The new series is less compelling than convoluted and, ultimately, pretty hokey. Turturro is in many ways the best thing about the show, diving into the material’s complexity and bringing a steadying screen presence to what, in short order, becomes a real mess.Įco criticized the feature film for its superficial treatment of the many themes of his book, which at its most basic is a Sherlock Holmes-style murder mystery set in an abbey in A.D. And certainly a good deal of that is evident in The Name of the Rose, something of a passion project for actor John Turturro, who not only stars in it and executive produces, but is one of four credited writers on the eight-episode miniseries.

I the name of the rose