This feature from Radiance Films is currently available as a “Limited Edition” Blu-ray.
As I’ve written before on numerous occasions. Radiance Films is a wonderful new distributor specializing in underseen (in North America) but important international titles from Europe, Japan and around the world.
Once again, they’ve gotten the rights to a well-regarded picture that was nominated for awards in its homeland, but didn’t get a significant release in this part of the world. Now, everyone can catch up with it.
Rosa la Rose, Fille Publique is a French drama about a young prostitute named Rosa (Marianne Basler) in the Les Halles area of Paris, France. While today this region is known as a popular shopping district, 40 years ago it was a red-light district. Rosa generally seems happy-go-lucky with the attention of various men fighting over her, but complications arise for the woman when she falls in love with painter/client, Julien (Pierre Cosso). Her older pimp Gilbert (Jean Sorel) with whom she has a relationship knows that she will ultimately leave at some point, but asks her to stay another five years until he retires from the business. Alas, she is so head over heels in love that she wants to leave immediately. The young and impulsive protagonist takes extreme action to change her life, resulting in tragedy.
The movie makes a distinct impression from other dramas of its ilk in several respects. It presents its main character, who has just turned 20, as a very genial, popular, and to some degree, naive. She appears to enjoy her work, and viewers see her deal with all kinds of clients, from the seemingly average or oddball, to potentially dangerous individuals over a few days. The film also amusingly deals with the occasionally competitive relationships between herself and other ladies in her field. Additionally, Rosa’s relationship with Gilbert is unusual for this type of movie. He’s not a vicious figure and seems quite uncertain of what to do when the main conflict arises. Rosa fears big reprisals, but her rash decisions actually seem to be the result of taking passing comments a little too seriously (and gossip from others around her).
In general, these characters aren’t painted broadly as simple heroes and villains. In fact, most are actually well-intentioned. They just have some personal quirks. For first time viewers, this approach does make the story unpredictable, unique and intriguing. Lead actress Basler is incredibly charismatic and it’s clear to see why she was nominated for a Cesar Award in France for her starring role (in the Most Promising Newcomer category).
The other big highlight of the picture is the way that it is shot and edited. The performers do their best to present a more authentic and low-key approach in depicting sex workers and their daily concerns and moments of happiness. And while one might expect a gritty feel to display a more realistic approach, the movie is instead shot in long takes with vibrant colors. The photography is beautiful with phenomenal choreography. The camera often roams around the streets, catching several characters as they cross paths, converse and then move on to other business. I was quite struck by how good the lighting and photography in this film was.
One can understand a couple of criticisms leveled at the picture. The film is relatively short and so there isn’t a great deal of time to develop the relationship between Rosa and Julien. For some, it isn’t all that clear enough why the charming Rosa would become this enamored with Julien. But one could argue that the intensity on display isn’t unlike many passionate affairs between young persons. And in the end, it wasn’t a major issue for this reviewer, even though I was admittedly more drawn in and fascinated by the interactions between Rosa, her coworkers, along with Gilbert.
I found that I liked this feature quite a bit more than I expected. The young lead is incredibly compelling and the supporting characters all stand out. Of course, the photography also wows with its elaborate set-ups and extended takes.
For this Blu-ray, the film was restored in 2K and the image was approved by director Paul Vecchiali. It’s a great-looking image and the bright colors almost pop out of the screen. It looks so striking that it is hard to believe that the movie wasn’t scanned in 4K. This is a clear, sharp, bright and brilliantly shot movie and the release perfectly displays the film’s arresting visuals.
The bonus features also come highly recommended. There is an introduction to the movie with critic David Jenkins, who gives an overview of director Paul Vecchiali and his career. It’s very helpful in providing background to the movie and its history, which is largely unknown in this part of the world. He goes over the filmmaker and his work in the independent scene, noting that he enjoyed making melodramas with modern story elements. The speaker describes this film as a “musical without music” (even though there actually is one sequence in the movie set to a song),and cites The Umbrella of Cherbourg as title with a similar visual palette. Compliments are also directed towards the sharp and witty dialogue spoken by the various characters in the film.
He notes that most of Vecchiali’s titles never got released abroad, but that they deserve to be seen and appreciated more today. Many of his pictures addressed themes and issues that were far ahead of their time. The critic also mentions that Vecchiali did eventually get some recognition for his work, as he was involved as a producer on Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles, which is now considered by many critics to be one of the best films ever made.
There are also brief but enlightening archival interviews with Vecchiali on French TV, as well as a conversation about the feature involving the filmmaker and star Basler. Vecchiali explains that while the movie is fictional and has melodramatic elements, he wanted to tell an engaging story while destigmatizing sex workers and show them as real and complex human beings. The actress describes working on the movie and how she approached her role.
While its unique approach may have turned a few viewers away back in its day, this is a title that holds up remarkably well. The majority of individuals in this story are both convincing and engaging. The remarkable camerawork makes the time float right by and the pacing is extremely efficient.
Those who enjoy French dramas will also be wowed by the image quality on this disc, and enjoy the extras that help enlighten viewers on the uniqueness of the storytelling. The Rosa la Rose, Fille Publique Blu-ray is well worth checking out.