Rosenstrasse (2003)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Director:

Margarethe von Trotta

Writers:

Pamela Katz (co-writer)
Margarethe von Trotta (writer)

Release Date:

18 September 2003 (Germany)

Genre:

Drama | War

Plot:

After the death of her father, Hannah becomes concerned with the strange behavior of her mother. As her mother's troubled childhood is revealed, Hannah realizes how little she ever knew.

Plot Keywords:

Jewish | Nazi Soldier | Anti Semitism | Racism | Human Relationship

Awards:

5 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Katja Riemann	...	Lena Fischer - age 33
Maria Schrader	...	Hannah Weinstein
Doris Schade	...	Lena Fischer - age 90
Jutta Lampe	...	Ruth Weinstein - age 60
Svea Lohde	...	Ruth - age 8
Jürgen Vogel	...	Arthur von Eschenbach
Martin Feifel	...	Fabian Fischer
Fedja van Huêt	...	Luis Marquez
Carola Regnier	...	Rachel Rosenbauer
Plien van Bennekom	...	Marion
Romijn Conen	...	Ben
Julia Eggert	...	Emily
Thekla Reuten	...	Klara Singer
Jutta Wachowiak	...	Frau Goldberg
Jan Decleir	...	Nathan Goldberg
Lena Stolze	...	Miriam Süßmann
Edwin de Vries	...	Vater Erika / Erika's Father
Carine Crutzen	...	Erika's mother
Lilian Schiffer	...	Erika
Sarah Nemitz	...	Adele
Rainer Strecker	...	SS-Mann Schneider / SS-Man Schneider
Peter Ender	...	Schupo 'Franz'
Roland Silbernagl	...	Jüdsicher Ordner / Jewish Orderly
Katalin Zsigmondy	...	Norissa
Hans Peter Hallwachs	...	Vater von Eschenbach / Father von Eschenbach
Gaby Dohm	...	Elsa von Eschenbach
Isolde Barth	...	Fabian's Mother
Fritz Lichtenhahn	...	Fabian's Father
Nina Kunzendorf	...	Litzy
Martin Wuttke	...	Joseph Goebbels
Hans Kremer	...	Hauptsturmführer Weber
Wolfgang Pregler	...	Herr Müller / Mr. Müller
Claudia Rieschel	...	Kollegin Klara / Klara's Colleague
Siemen Rühaak	...	Sturmbannführer / SS-Officer
Burkhard Schmeer	...	Hauptschaarführer
Heio von Stetten	...	Von Welz
Carl Achleitner	...	Sturmbannführer / SS-Officer
Frank Behnke
Harald Burmeister
Stacey Denham
Robert Dölle
Lars-Kilian Falk	...	(The Ill Man)
Uwe Fischer
Monika Häckermann
Ben Kropp
Jean-Pierre Le Roy
Felix Moeller
Morris Perry
Heinz Rilling
Johannes Schäfer
Atto Suttarp
Cynthia Utterbach
Britta Jakobi	...	Frau aus der Rosenstrasse / Woman from Rosenstrasse
Hannelore Koch	...	Frau aus der Rosenstrasse / Woman from Rosenstrasse
Yvette Richter	...	Frau aus der Rosenstrasse / Woman from Rosenstrasse
Christine Schuster	...	Frau aus der Rosenstrasse / Woman from Rosenstrasse
Renate Usko	...	Woman waiting in Rosenstrasse
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Cécile Decker	...	Ensemble member (uncredited)
Jochen Striebeck	...	Nathan Goldberg (voice) (uncredited)
Björn Wenner	...	GeStaPo-Offizier (uncredited)

Directed by
Margarethe von Trotta

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Pamela Katz		co-writer
Margarethe von Trotta		writer

Produced by
Henrik Meyer	....	producer
Errol Nayci	....	co-producer
Kerstin Ramcke	....	executive producer
Sabine Schild	....	line producer
Richard Schöps	....	producer
Volkert Struycken	....	co-producer
Markus Zimmer	....	producer

Original Music by
Loek Dikker

Cinematography by
Franz Rath

Film Editing by
Corina Dietz

Casting by
Sabine Schroth

Production Design by
Heike Bauersfeld

Costume Design by
Ursula Eggert

Makeup Department
Maike Heinlein	....	assistant makeup artist
Gerhard Nemetz	....	makeup artist
Mia Schöpke	....	makeup artist (as Mia Schoepke)

Production Management
Hans-Erich Busch	....	production manager (as Hans-E. Busch)
Arno Neubauer	....	location unit manager
Arno Neubauer	....	unit manager

Art Department
Marco Pressler	....	construction manager
Torsten Schwartz	....	supervisor plasterer

Sound Department
Christian Bischoff	....	sound assistant
Sören Blüthgen	....	foley mixer
Christof Ebhardt	....	sound editor
Jo Fürst	....	foley artist
Lisa Geffcken-Reinhard	....	foley editor
Monika Gussner	....	adr editor
Magda Habernickel	....	sound editor
Annette Prey	....	sound editor
Max Rammler-Rogall	....	sound re-recording mixer
Eric Rueff	....	sound
Marcel Spisak	....	sound editor

Special Effects by
Bernd Wildau	....	special effects
Adolf Wojtinek	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Markus Drayss	....	digital artist
Michael Lanzensberger	....	visual effects set supervisor
Frank Rueter	....	digital artist: 2D and 3D
Dominik Trimborn	....	visual effects coordinator: Arri
Christian Wieser	....	pre-visualization artist

Stunts
Christof Genesis	....	stunts
Udo Harnach	....	stunt performer
Armin Sauer	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Jan Betke	....	assistant camera
Jan Betke	....	still photographer
Jörg Widmer	....	Steadicam operator

Casting Department
Iris Müller	....	extras casting

Music Department
Michael Hinreiner	....	music mixer

Other crew
Jed Curtis	....	dialogue coach
Peter Futschik	....	account assistant
Birgit Mangold	....	production controller
Marco Schenke	....	crowd marshall
Lars C. Steinmeyer	....	set runner
Martin Zwanzger	....	title designer

Production Companies

• Studio Hamburg Letterbox Filmproduktion
• Tele München Fernseh Produktionsgesellschaft (TMG)
• Get Reel Productions (co-production)

Distributors

• Studio Canal (2003) (worldwide) (theatrical) (sales)
• Concorde Filmverleih (2003) (Germany) (theatrical)
• 01 Distribuzione (2004) (Italy) (theatrical)
• CTV International (2004) (France) (theatrical)
• Capri Films (2004) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Frenetic Films (2003) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Kamras Film Group (2004) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Samuel Goldwyn Films (2004) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Triangelfilm (2004) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2003) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Concorde Home Entertainment (2004) (Germany) (DVD) (retail)
• EuroVideo (2004) (Germany) (DVD) (rental)
• Kamras Film Group (2005) (Finland) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2005) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2004) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (Switzerland) (DVD)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (2007) (Finland) (TV) (TV1)

Other Companies

• ARRI Rental  camera equipment provided by
• Du Art Film Works  laboratory services

Also Known As:

Rosenstraße (Germany) (poster title)
The Women of Rosenstrasse (Germany) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for mature thematic material, some violence and brief drug content.

Runtime:

Canada:136 min (Toronto International Film Festival) | Switzerland:136 min | USA:136 min | Argentina:136 min

Country:

Germany | Netherlands

Language:

German | English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Switzerland:14 (canton of Zurich) | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Singapore:NC-16 | Germany:12 (bw) | Netherlands:12 | Sweden:7 | USA:PG-13 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Finland:K-11

Filming Locations:

Bavaria Filmstudios, Geiselgasteig, Grünwald, Bavaria, Germany

Company:

Studio Hamburg Letterbox Filmproduktion

Trivia:

Nathan Stoltzfus' book "Resistance of the Heart: Intermarriage and the Rosenstrasse Protest in Nazi Germany" (1997) was published after Margarethe von Trotta started work on the film. It is possible that it was used as source material for some of the characters and incidents in the film.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Katja Riemann (2006) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Sonata for Piano and Violin in A

Major disappointment!

One thing that astonished me about this film (and not in a good way) was that Nathan Stoltzfus, who seems to pride himself on being the major historian on the topic of the Rosenstrasse, was one of the historians working on this film, considering how much of the actual events were altered or disregarded.

Another reviewer said that von Trotta said she never meant for Lena to bed Goebbels, but in that case, why did she give every impression that that was what had happened? Why not show other possible reasons for the mens' release, such as the disaster that was Stalingrad, or the Nazis' fear that the international press, based in Berlin, would find out about the protest.

Also, why did the whole storyline play second fiddle to a weak family bonding storyline that has been done over and over again? Surely something as awesome as this could carry its own history! In places, it was as if the film had two story lines that really seemed to have little in common.

Overall, this film failed in its aim, which was to draw attention to a little-known act of resistance, which is a shame, because done better, it could have had a major impact.