Markus Schleinzer’s film, Rose, features a captivating performance by Sandra Hüller, who plays a woman identified only as “the Master.” She never reveals her true name, and no one ever asks. The story, narrated with a stark precision by Marisa Growaldt, largely unfolds as if she is a man – and we never learn his name either. This constant shifting of identity creates a subtle tension throughout the film, despite its otherwise minimalist style. The setting is a remote farming community in 17th-century Europe, shortly after the Thirty Years’ War, but the details of time and place feel deliberately vague. It could be almost anywhere – medieval Russia or even the Moon – a desolate landscape cut off from history. While the film, which debuted at the Berlin Film Festival, maintains a spareness in dialogue, it’s visually rich, beautifully shot in black and white. The textures of everyday life – wood, rope, stone – are rendered with striking clarity, giving the impression of a world built on unchanging realities. It feels as though the people here have lived this way for centuries, and will continue to do so, making them deeply wary of anything unfamiliar.
We first encounter Rose as she returns home from war, bearing a prominent facial scar. Having lived as a man for years while serving as a soldier, she arrives in a small village with legal documents for a large piece of land. The villagers are wary of her, but she eases their concerns by recalling a childhood memory of a fire at the local chapel caused by lightning, proving she once lived there. The land is in poor condition and the farmhouse is falling apart, but Rose dedicates herself to the hard work of restoring it, quickly becoming a respected and prosperous member of the community. This leads to a proposal, and she soon becomes engaged to Suzanna (played charmingly by Caro Braun, who is both shy and surprisingly daring), the daughter of one of her business partners. This is where the story really takes off.
While the story is made up, the filmmakers drew inspiration from real accounts of women who disguised themselves as men during this time, giving the film a sense of authenticity. This realism comes from the director’s precise and stark filmmaking style – every scene and line of dialogue feels essential. The film powerfully conveys the horrors of war with just a few images, like a smoking battlefield and skeletal remains. Early in the film, a moment of Rose freezing as a bear walks by feels both real and symbolic: she’s trying to remain unnoticed to protect her disguise, and the film itself reflects that restraint. The film’s simplicity actually enhances its emotional impact. Hüller delivers a stunning performance as Rose, portraying a quiet and reserved character with a hidden vulnerability. When she arrives, her claim to simply want to “try her luck” feels genuine.
The film often speaks of a strong community spirit, where everyone strives to build lives for themselves and support one another. Rose embodies this idea more strongly than anyone, and her drive is central to the film’s emotional impact and its ability to feel larger than life. The villagers, and the audience, see Rose as an enigma, and that mystery is what draws us in. She wears a flattened bullet as a necklace – a reminder of her resilience, but also her inner turmoil. We learn much of her story through narration, which at times recalls the style of Michael Hordern in Barry Lyndon – a voice that feels both all-knowing and rooted in the past. The narrator reveals only snippets of information, but those details are profoundly meaningful, like Rose’s initial experience of freedom when she first wears trousers, or the eventual relief of sharing her burdens with someone else.
I don’t want to give away too much of the plot, but we eventually get to really hear Rose’s side of things, and Sandra Hüller absolutely nails a monologue with such raw emotion. It’s not like the filmmakers are trying to appeal to modern sensibilities; it genuinely feels like something a woman in Rose’s situation would have said back then. And honestly, watching Hüller – who’s already proven she can convey incredible sadness with just a look – I started to think I was witnessing a career-defining performance.
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2026-02-16 17:55