This film's hard to describe: one part murder mystery, one part social commentary / historical context. The movie's built around the ideas of theology, study, and knowledge, so the murder mystery plays second fiddle to these heady concepts.
It's an obvious and easy thing to say, but Sean Connery is a treasure, celebrated for good reason. He is no less charming as a Franciscan monk than his portrayal of James Bond, which is weird, because monks are usually celibate (apparently.)
Ron Perlman is also in this, playing a ghoulish hunchback. He's a class A ham who's made a career out of playing malformed brutes with beautiful hearts, and it was a delight seeing him pop up during this film.
There are other iconic actors throughout, but really this film is about its direction and atmosphere. Tweaking an element or two could easily convert this film into a fantastic horror show.
Anyway, recommended.
It's an obvious and easy thing to say, but Sean Connery is a treasure, celebrated for good reason. He is no less charming as a Franciscan monk than his portrayal of James Bond, which is weird, because monks are usually celibate (apparently.)
Ron Perlman is also in this, playing a ghoulish hunchback. He's a class A ham who's made a career out of playing malformed brutes with beautiful hearts, and it was a delight seeing him pop up during this film.
There are other iconic actors throughout, but really this film is about its direction and atmosphere. Tweaking an element or two could easily convert this film into a fantastic horror show.
Anyway, recommended.