Writer-director Markus Schleinzer’s ROSE is a beautifully-made historical drama that speaks to the contemporary debate around trans rights. It stars the ever-brilliant Sandra Hueller in the title role, playing a woman who has adopted the guise of a man in 17th century Germany. She does so not because she wants to be a man, but because wearing trousers gives her freedom.
As the film opens, the soldier returns home from the brutal Thirty Years’ War to claim his inheritance - a small, broken-down rural farm. He turns it around and takes a wife Suzanna (Caro Braun), adding to his landholdings and his respectability. About halfway through, they come to an understanding. Both can achieve freedom and respectability from their arrangement. But the villagers cannot abide such deception and subversion.
Schleinzer shoots the film in black and white and it is well done. I also loved the score and costuming. Caro Braun holds her own against Hueller in arguably the more demanding role. The film concludes exactly as one might expect and fear but the final moments made me gasp. I did chuckle at the idea that Rose had even been lying about her religion though.
Overall it’s a beautiful film but very on the nose in its politics and predictable in its outcomes. It is elevated by Hueller but still feels rather slight.
ROSE has a running time of 1hr 34m. Sandra Hueller won the acting award at Berlin. It goes on release in the USA on December 11th
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