Director: Paul Vecchiali
Screenplay: Paul Vecchiali
Starring: Marianne Basler, Jean Sorel, Pierre Cosso, Laurent Lévy, Catherine Lachens, Evelyne Buyle, Pierre Oudrey, Heinz Schwarzinger
Country: France
Running Time: 88 min
Year: 1986
BBFC Certificate: 18
The beauty of boutique Blu-ray labels is that amongst all the releases of blockbusters and well-known films by established directors or featuring famous stars, there are some real hidden gems. Films from across the globe that really should be better known, but for whatever reason aren’t; be it the marketing, the year they came out, bad luck or any other myriad of reasons, they just aren’t as well remembered as they deserve to be.
The Radiance label has released some really worthwhile films, many of which are relatively unknown, in the two years or so since the label was launched, and among the latest is a 1980s French gem called Rosa la rose, fille publique (translated as Rosa, the rose public girl).
The film follows the titular Rosa ‘la rose’ (Marianne Basler), who is a well thought of and extremely popular sex worker on the streets of Paris; beloved by her fellow working girls and spoiled by her pimp Gilbert (Jean Sorel). Then, on her 20th birthday, she meets blue-collar worker Julien (Pierre Cosso), who discovers there is more than meets the eye to Rosa, and more than just the fun-loving exterior that she exhibits. Rosa falls in love with Julien and has to consider whether she wants to continue with her existing life or start a new one with her new lover.
Two elements stood out most for me: the central performance of Basler as Rosa, which I’ll return to, and some specific scenes that were captivating. The scene where Rosa and Julien lock eyes on each other for the first time is a masterclass. We’re at the party, a female dancer in a tuxedo dances away in front of a table where most of the guests for the birthday party, including Rosa, are sat. Rosa can’t stop looking at Julien. She then dances over to him, singing a love song as she goes, and now he’s smitten and mesmerised. It’s very much love at first sight. What follows is a full-on song and dance number, with four of the female characters taking to the floor and using pool cues as dancing props. Julien can’t take his eyes off Rosa throughout this musical sequence. It’s a wonderful scene.
Before and after that scene we see the effect Rosa has on other characters. The men are besotted with her and the women either come across as deeply enamoured or jealous. Everyone in the film seems to be affected by Rosa in some way. Then Julien reappears, and the real thrust of the film comes to the fore again – the ‘will they won’t they’ of his relationship with Rosa. The second time they share the screen together becomes a tender love scene, which doesn’t culminate in sex, and each time they share scenes it feels like something important is going to happen. As the relationship develops, Rosa seems distracted, her pimp wants to hold onto her, everyone else seems to become cold to her. Her life is completely changing. Will Rosa give up the adoration, the friends, her vocation, and settle down with Julien?
I shall not spoil the ending of the film too much, but suffice to say this is a very Romeo and Juliet style story and, whilst it doesn’t end in the same way as that play or the countless adaptations of it, it ends in a pretty downbeat way with a real sense of a dramatic tragedy.
Basler’s performance as Rosa is outstanding. It’s a mesmerising performance, with Basler throwing her all into the role, in a film that is essentially a character study. Rosa is in most of the scenes, and when she’s not on screen she’s being talked about. It’s very much her film and needed a strong central performance, which is certainly what we get in Basler.
Whilst it’s Rosa’s story, she’s not alone and is surrounded by some quite wonderful characters who we meet for brief moments, sometimes longer. None feel like caricatures, all feel like real characters in this world that we spend almost 90 minutes in.
Rosa la rose features an interesting score by Roland Vincent; very 1980s and very French. The music that plays over the opening titles, as stills of street scenes around a fair are played, is particularly catchy. The fairground will be the backdrop for a pivotal scene later in the movie as Rosa contemplates what she wants her future to be.
The cinematography is also brilliant, the camera rarely seems to stand still, and there are some great panning shots and frequent use of movement which adds depths to some of the scenes and makes others come alive. It’s another real highlight in a gem of a feature.
Paris is also used well. It’s a city we’ve often seen on the big screen, usually the most famous landmarks like the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, and the Champs-Élysées. Here we get typical Parisian street scenes, back streets and squares; a different side to the city, but no less charming. Paris always feels like a character in its own right to me in the films it’s been the backdrop for, and this is very much the case for Rosa la rose.
In closing, I thoroughly enjoyed Rosa la rose. It’s an excellent character study of an intriguing and watchable character, brought to the screen by a master director and crew, with excellent cinematography and a wonderful central performance by Basler as Rosa. I hope this new release by Radiance will bring the modern audience to the film that it deserves.
Film: 
Rosa la rose, fille publique is released on 21st July 2025 on the Radiance label. The new 2K restoration, which has been approved by writer/ director Vecchiali, is excellent; the print looking great with natural detail, rich but natural colour schemes and no blemishes. It truly looks great. The sound is also very good, with crisp and clear dialogue and the music and sound effects shining through when they need to. Overall, it’s a very strong presentation.
Limited edition Blu-ray features:
2K restoration approved by Paul Vecchiali
Original uncompressed PCM mono audio
Interview with critic David Jenkins (2025, 14 mins)
Archival interview with director Paul Vecchiali (1985, 5 mins)
Archival interview with actors Marianne Basler and Jean Sorel (1985, 4 mins)
Newly improved English subtitle translation
Reversible sleeve featuring designs based on original promotional materials
Limited edition booklet featuring newly translated archival interviews and new writing by Marina Ashioti
Limited edition of 3000 copies, presented in full-height Scanavo packaging with removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings
Extras kick-off with a five-minute interview with director Vecchiali which was produced during the film’s French release and was first broadcast on French television’s Le Mans Evening News in April 1986. Vecchiali describes the film as a powerful love story that ends badly and how he was trying to tell a story of a sex worker as a regular person. He also shares the importance of music in his films. A brief but intriguing interview.
Another 1986 interview is included, this time for A2 on French television and featuring Marianne Basler and Jean Sorel discussing their roles and the style of the film. The four-minute piece focuses on the film’s love story and also features some images from the trailer for the movie.
The introduction by David Jenkins, which can be played before the film or from the special features menu, is an excellent 14-minute piece. Jenkins describes how the release is one of the first of Vecchiali’s films to make its way to Blu-ray and how he’s a director who is ripe for rediscovery. Jenkins provides plenty of background to the director, his influences and passion for cinema which led to him writing two books and ultimately moving into filmmaking. It’s a great overview of the director, with lots to glean, and Jenkins also spends plenty of time looking at some of Vecchiali’s films and shorts. Jenkins them moves onto Rosa la rose for the final few minutes, describing it as a demystification of sex work in Paris in the 1980s. It’s a fabulous piece.
I wasn’t provided with the booklet, unfortunately, but Radiance ones are usually well worth a read and this looks to be the same with new and archival writing.
So, it’s a very slim package, but what’s provided in around 25 minutes of interviews is informative, and the audio-visual presentation, which is the main draw, is great. The film itself is a mesmerising story anchored by a phenomenal central performance, and a real gem that I’m delighted to have discovered, thanks to this release by Radiance.
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