Rosemary (1960)

You won't be disappointed!

Sadly Over-hyped

Pretty Good

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

"Das Mädchen Rosemarie" or "The Girl Rosemarie" is a West German German-language movie from 1958, which means it will soon have its 60th anniversary. It is in black-and-white and won a Golden Globe back then as well. However, Germany did not choose to submit it to the Oscars. Maybe it also would have been a bit too controversial. But it sure was current as the title character is the young prostitute Rosemarie Nitribitt who died recently and the circumstances of her death are still ominous until today because of her involvement with the rich and famous, but also mobsters you see in the film here especially. But what makes this film really stand out is not only the story, especially as the story may not be really that accurate on many occasions. This perfectly fine though as creative freedom is nothing to be too harsh about and it was an interesting watch as well as one that may have you on the edge of your seat occasionally. But back to what I said earlier. There are elements in this film that you really would not expect and this includes somewhat subtly comedic scenes as well as the great deal music. It's certainly close to a level that one could call it a musical, even if it may a be a bit edgy. And with all these influences, the film never forgets its true purpose, namely telling the tragic story of the title character. There are many really smart scenes. You will recognize them when you see them. Let me just mention one example, namely the parallel between the ending and the beginning. And the sad statement that every girl is basically exchangeable, in terms of physicality, but also in terms of character and attitude that eventually did not matter at all in their profession. The director is Rolf Thiele and he did a pretty good job. Kinda shocking to see that he has not made any other somewhat known films during his long and prolific career. The material for him may have been lighter frequently. He is also one of (no less than) four writers working on the script and it's nice for once to see that we don't have a case of too many cooks spoiling the broth. And the actors give convincing performances too and this involves many others too, not just Tiller for whom it's a career-defining performance. I actually would have hoped for Adorf and Froebe perhaps to have even more/better material to work with as their characters were a bit underused and probably did not match the actors' talent. But that's just a minor criticism. All in all, I am convinced by the film and it's a rare occasion of a German movie from the 1950s that was actually good. And it did not even need the oh so important WWII subject for succeeding. Well done to everybody involved. Go see it. And then decide for yourself if you wanna give the Nina Hoss film on the same character a chance, if you manage to get a hand on it.

In Das Mädchen Rosemarie, I felt very unsatisfied from the story line. I had a difficult time getting into the time of the movie to let go of reality. The acting was very cut and dry. No one really showed any type of real emotional and powerful acting. My favorite part in the movie was at the dinner party when the wives and then everyone started jumping in the pool for money. Thinking about recentmovies I thought of Pretty Woman with a lot less emotion and entertainmentvalue. Since I was not very into the plot and action taking place on the screen I was very focused on the camera movements and angles. I am not a historian, but I felt like the car scenes were probably innovative. Especially during Rosemarie and Hartog's trip to the club for lunch when it went up and over he car.My final comments on this movie, would be to go see, but don't expect to bemoved by the acting of engaged by the plot. See this movie to pick up on the camera techniques and angles.

I some what enjoyed Das Madchen Rosemarie because of the following reasons: camera shots in car, plot and storyline, setting, and several characters. The storyline was great and very creative. I guess I like those blackmail movies but, there is a couple parts that I didn't quite pick up on. For example, (this could be a spoiler) near the end Rosemarie receives a call from this guy in a booth and she demands 30,000. Then she hangs up. I was wondering how does she know this man? I felt like I either missed some connection during the movie or the director just threw that in there. Several characters stood out and kept my interest. The two singing men with their act and how they always kept on following Rosemarie. Were these guys suppose to be like musical narrators because sometimes they would be singing, but you would be watching Rosemarie in a different building? Regardless they added some of the comic relief that was needed in parts of the movie. I felt that Hartog was an odd character. He seemed to be too generous that you would expect him to do things in the movie. Another great aspect of this film is the writing. Some of the lines were great and the musical lyrics were hilarious!

"Das Mädchen Rosemarie" offers a compelling tale of a West German call girlcaught up in the big money world of capitalism in the 50's. The title character is a resourceful, intelligent beauty who attempts to outwit morally corruptbusinessmen, and fails, losing her life. From the opening sequence which finds Rosemarie dancing below a hotel, "Das Mådchen" is full of vibrancy and life, containing an almost lyrical quality to the film. Singing is prevalent throughout the film, with Rosemarie's lowlyaquaintances providing social commentary with an accordion throughout themovie. Along with this poetic quality, the film also finds strength through its stylish camera work. Full of extreme zooms and close-ups, the camera addsreal drama and a sense of urgency to the story. Nadja Tiller, as the call-girl Rosemarie, is electrifying, dominating the screen in every scene. Beautiful and resourceful, you never doubt her ability to outwit the West Germanbusinessmen. The supporting cast is also very strong. As for weaknesses of the movie, the story does tend to drag along a bit, despite the music which is prevalent throughout. The main problem however,is its hit you over the head method of displaying its message. The audience is constantly bombarded with messages of the ills of capitalism , most commonly displayed through the songs of Rosemaries friends , which are not-so-subtlejabs at capitalism. While the merits of capitalism are certainly valid film topics, the constant barrage detracts from the movie. The story works on its own, and does not need the constant anti-capitalist messages. Stylistically, "Das Mådchen has echos of Hitchcock, with its dizzying camera work and morbid end. Despite this one major flaw, "Das Mådchen" is a colorful and enjoyable movie, complete with a tragic ending which lends an air of seriousness to the movie.