5 replies to this topic

[TCK]

I was watching The name of the rose (1986) the other day, and really thought once ended that William of Baskerville could be in some way 14th century James Bond's ancestor ! What do you think about that idea ?

Edit : not sure it's in the right section, but didn't really know where I had to post it.

Edited by TCK, 03 December 2011 - 11:24 PM.

[Dustin]

I haven't read the book myself but it seems the character was intended more as a version of Sherlock Holmes. Fans of Eco's novel have gathered numerous similarities between the two on William of Baskerville's entry on wikipedia. I don't see any details pointing to a Bond relation apart from the tall lean figure and perhaps the odd herbs Baskerville seems to chew for recreational purposes.

[TCK]

I haven't read the book myself but it seems the character was intended more as a version of Sherlock Holmes. Fans of Eco's novel have gathered numerous similarities between the two on William of Baskerville's entry on wikipedia. I don't see any details pointing to a Bond relation apart from the tall lean figure and perhaps the odd herbs Baskerville seems to chew for recreational purposes.

I particularly imagined the relation between James Bond and William of Baskerville with the way Sean Connery played both characters. I don't know exactly why, but when I watched The name of the rose, I thought Sean Connery played Baskerville as if he played James Bond's ancestor. He trusts more his cleverness and his reasoning than his faith.

[AndrewBond]

LOL. If I recall correctly, not only is William a celibate monk, but in the film, he specifically states that he's never broken his vows. So I don't think Connery intended him as anyone's ancestor.

[Dustin]

I particularly imagined the relation between James Bond and William of Baskerville with the way Sean Connery played both characters.

Well, I think from DAF onwards in many of his films Connery showed a conspiratorial wink, often suggesting a lighter tone even in serious parts. His characters seem to take themselves not too seriously, an ironic, ever so slightly selfmocking quality, as if there was a smile and a hearty laugh waiting just around the corner. Not as predominant as in Moore's depictions, but nearly always there and pulling the audience on his side.

This particular streak can be found in many of his films, from DAF and THE MAN WHO WOULD BE KING to OUTLAND, CUBA, HIGHLANDER and THE NAME OF THE ROSE and THE ROCK. Films where he's playing entirely straight and serious are actually few and need a serious theme such as THE OFFENCE. At the moment I can't even think of another, ZARDOZ perhaps.

In this sense Connery's roles would indeed seem to be related. There are often moments where Connery looks at the audience and seems to say 'Don't panic. James Bond is here, what can go wrong?'

Edited by Dustin, 13 December 2011 - 07:56 PM.

[Aries Walker]

Well, besides the celibacy, William of Baskerville also sounds English, whereas Bond was, of course, not. It's possible, though, that one of Baskerville's relatives headed north, perhaps after Henry VIII closed the monasteries, or to escape either of the Civil Wars. That doesn't solve the celibacy issue, though.

I could be persuaded that he was a past relative, though, if not a direct ancestor. In fiction, the Lone Ranger was the great uncle of the Green Hornet, and in reality, my family identifies with Meriwether Lewis, although I'm not a direct descendent of his, as he had no children (I'm descended from his sister). So I could see William showing up in the Bond family archives, even if tangentially.