Returning from war, an unknown soldier arrives in a small village claiming inheritance to a farm. Secretly the soldier is actually Rose, who has been successfully passing as a man for years, in director Markus Schleinzer’s absorbing drama Rose.
A mysterious gentleman by CHRIS DREW
4 stars
Here be spoilers
Opening to a barren burning landscape, a narrator (Maris Growaldt, The White Ribbon) introduces “a true tale of a deceiver” as Rose (Sandra Hüller, Toni Erdmann) arrives at the small village presenting as a man.
Wearing a bullet around her neck, Rose says it went straight through her mouth giving her the significant scar on her face.
She explains she has been serving as a solider for ten years during the Thirty Years War, her family have died and she’s in possession of documents to inherit a farm.
The villagers are suspicious and an offer to buy the farm is made, but she wants to settle and can pay for farm workers.
After calmly surviving a close encounter with a bear, Rose bravely kills the bear when it attacks a villager. Gaining the local’s respect, a hat and coat are made from her from the bear’s coat.
Cutting to a year later Rose has settled. A farmer (Godehard Giese, The Book Thief) won’t sell Rose additional land but will instead give her his daughter Suzanna (Caro Braun, feature debut).
The pair are married with Rose telling Suzanna she values her purity and will reserve it. The following day she awkwardly asks Suzanna to sing, who nervously obliges. f
The farmer insists consummation will validate the marriage and so Rose uses a strapped device in the night. The following day Suzanna believes she is pregnant and an astounded Rose is suddenly being congratulated as an expectant father
When a baby arrives, weeks early, Rose is astonished and has complex feelings towards fatherhood but reproduction gives further esteem in the community.
However, life becomes significantly unsettled when Rose collapses after being badly stung by bees. Washing her, Suzanna is shocked to see her crotch and uncover the truth.
Suzanna tells the workers she will lead the farm while the master is recovering, gaining a strength and confidence, despite the circumstances.
Waking up, Rose shares her story with Suzanna her story, told in narration, with Rose no longer carrying secrets alone.
The pair choose to remain a unit but are soon disrupted when one of the maids tells others about Rose’s identity and a group of villagers arrive demanding Rose drops her trousers to prove herself a man. Rose angrily denies being a fraud, saying everyone must show their body if it is a requirement.
Rose and Suzanna leave with the baby and make a den in the woods. We’re told in narration that they are discovered on the third day and brought back to the village.
Awaiting trial for three months we discover Rose is pregnant by rape and in court she’s forced to reveal her back story.
Convicted to death by sword, after the baby has been born, Rose is devastated to hear Suzanna was sentenced to death by drowning.
In the increasingly sombre and bleak final scenes, Rose writes her story and requests a rehearsal of the death ceremony. Rose rejects seeing the baby, for the sake of the child
The execution is described in detail, by the narrator, as we end with a long extended close-up of Rose’s face.
As expected Rose is led by yet another superb performance by Hüller. The Oscar nominee is fully believable as a woman confidently passing as a man. Instead of adapting a false deep voice, the actress brings Rose’s male persona to life with a sternness, posture and manner.
Equally convincingly angry and in the quieter emotional moments, the effective prosthetic and make-up creating the scarring adds to the belief Rose is a male soldier.
Although she is getting regular offers from Hollywood, it is pleasing to see Hüller still fully committed to, and excelling in, European cinema.
However, significant credit must also be given to Braun who is excellent as Suzanna. In a moving character arc, she displays Suzanna’s shyness, gradual growing confidence and acceptance of Rose and the unexpected situation she finds herself in.
Narration is used interestingly with the narrator asking questions of theme and being tasked to talk us through multiple significant scenes rather than them being shown.
The black and white cinematography is beautiful and the score of ethereal voices mixed with the gentle sounds of nature gives the film an other worldly quality.
The costuming is strong with Rose’s armour and civilian wear supporting the character successfully in addition to Suzanna’s spectacular bridal headdress.
With it’s increasingly downbeat final act; Rose may leave you in a mood that could ruin your day so it could be advised to schedule a pick-me-up to follow.
Rose screened at Berlin and as a UK Premiere at the 2026 BFI London Film Festival.
