Watch Rosenstrasse

In 2003, a historical drama titled Rosenstrasse was released, directed by Margarethe von Trotta, and starred Katja Riemann, Maria Schrader, and Svea Lohde. The movie revolves around the events in Nazi Germany during World War II and portrays a little-known incident of Jewish resistance against persecution. The story of Rosenstrasse is set in Berlin in 1943, when the Nazi regime is at its peak, and anti-Semitic laws are in full effect. The movie follows two parallel storylines that eventually merge. One narrative centers around a group of older Jewish women, the Rosenstrasse protest, who gather daily to protest against the detention of their Jewish husbands by the Gestapo. The other narrative revolves around a young German woman named Hannah Weinstein (Maria Schrader), who discovers that her mother was Jewish and decides to investigate her family's history.

The film begins by introducing Hannah as a contemporary history professor who receives a phone call from her mother's childhood friend, Lena Fischer (Katja Riemann). Lena tells Hannah about a pamphlet her daughter Miriam found that contained information about the Rosenstrasse protest. Intrigued, Hannah goes to Berlin to learn more, and her research intertwines with the experiences of the Rosenstrasse women.

The Rosenstrasse protest was an actual event that occurred in Berlin for several days in February 1943, after the Nazis arrested and held about 2,000 Jewish men in a building on Rosenstrasse. While most of the arrested men were sent to concentration camps, the Rosenstrasse women – wives, daughters, and mothers – began to gather outside the building, demanding their release. The protest grew in size and intensity, and soon non-Jewish Germans joined the women, expressing their solidarity and challenging the Nazi regime.

The Rosenstrasse women in the movie are portrayed vividly, depicting their anger, desperation, and courage as they challenge the Nazi authorities. Among them is Ruth Weinstein (Jutta Lampe), Hannah's mother, who had kept her Jewish identity hidden for years. The protest becomes the main subject of the movie, and the scenes are moving and powerful, revealing the strong will of women who rose against the Nazi regime.

While the women are protesting, Hannah continues her research, discovering the shocking truth about her family's past. She learns about her grandmother, a Jewish woman murdered in a concentration camp, and her mother's trauma of hiding her identity. Hannah's story allows the audience to see the emotional impact of Nazi policies on families and individuals.

The filmmaker Margarethe von Trotta's direction is visually stunning, creating an authentic atmosphere of oppression, fear, and courage. The movie's strong themes of women's solidarity, Jewish resistance, and individual courage are essential in understanding the role of protest in challenging totalitarian regimes. The movie Rosenstrasse is a haunting and powerful portrayal of a little-known chapter in history, emphasizing the resilience and bravery of Jewish men and women, who dared to stand up against fascist oppression.

In conclusion, this 2003 film Rosenstrasse is a must-watch movie for those interested in World War II historical drama. Though it takes some creative liberties with the factual events of the Rosenstrasse protest, the movie is an engaging and effective narrative that embodies the courage and strength of ordinary people to resist against the tyranny of fascist forces. The performances of the actors were noteworthy, and the cinematography is compelling. With a gripping storyline, well-crafted characters, and moving historical context, Rosenstrasse is an unforgettable and immersive film experience.

Rosenstrasse is a 2004 drama with a runtime of 2 hours and 16 minutes. It has received mostly poor reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.7 and a MetaScore of 49.