Drama
Denmark 2022
102 minutes
Director: Niels Arden Oplev
Watch on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/82077968
Summary:
Inspired by a true story. The Danish film Rose takes place in 1997, where Inger, her sister Ellen and brother-in-law Vagn go by bus to Paris. Inger lives in an institution and has been diagnosed with schizophrenia. After saying goodbye to their clingy and overprotective mother, they embark on a bus trip to Paris, Versailles, and Normandy.
No one on board knows that Inger is schizophrenic, and it comes as a bit of a shock when she tells it over the bus’ loudspeaker system. Especially the petrified deputy school inspector Skelbæk is outraged. He is traveling with his wife and 12-year-old son Christian. Christian is curious about Inger, and throughout the trip, they become mutual sources of joy and support for each other, much to the concern of his authoritative father, who claims that Inger is harmful and disruptive and should have been locked up.
The film offers plenty of action, fantastic dialogue, humorous episodes, and a wise portrayal of Inger’s emotional conflicts and needs. It discusses what is normal versus sick, and delves into what the patient role and the relative role do to everyone involved. Inger proves to be an intelligent, sensitive, and ethically responsible person who has a lot to offer her fellow human beings, but who is plagued by critical voices and involuntary comments when she is exposed to discomfort.
It becomes clear that Inger’s function varies greatly depending on the situation and who she has around her. Confronted with her mother’s incapacitating care, she becomes so helpless that she cannot even walk on her own. In situations where she sees that she has something to contribute, she shines with her fluent French, humor, and energy, even becoming the heroine of the group. On the trip, Inger finally gets answers to what once made her ill. She sought out her great and never forgotten love, Jaques. Why could he start a relationship with her when it turned out that he was married at the same time? Was she still his Rose?