That's a lot to ask, but it usually determines whether I'm going to savor the experience and repeat it regularly and The Name of the Rose fits the bill.
Sean Connery is still the best of all Bonds, especially in those first three Bond movies that were meaningful, but his performance as William of Baskerville is so perfectly executed, (spoiler warning) it almost takes your breath away when he steps out from the disaster of the abbey, smoke pouring from his robes, a look of triumph tempered with an overwhelming sense of relief at having preserved at least a small portion of the knowledge that had been so long repressed as the books fall from his loving grasp and plop down around him. It's all about the books and what they represents. This is one of my favorite scenes of all time among a couple of others from this movie.
The rest of the cast seem to fit their roles about as well as if they were really the people they're portraying. Even a young Christian Slater is perfectly hesitant, unsure and timid, but fearless in the end having lived through and survived the nastiness of the Inquisitors and matured rapidly in the process.
I enjoy movies that make me think, they are the ones that have lasting value. Sure, a screwball comedy or action flick is a nice escape from time to time, but this type of movie, with its historical background, fascinating cast of characters and an intriguing, unpredictable story does more to justify the pastime of sitting still and watching a moving picture.
This a movie that has remained on my top ten favorite list for a long, long time and I pull it out regularly and watch it just to appreciate why it was made in the first place even though I'm sure that puts me in a relatively small group when compared to the audience for most movies.
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