In all honesty, I knew next to nothing about Madame Rosa before deciding to review it besides the fact that it had won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 1978. The experience of immersing yourself into the cinematic history of a culture that is not your own is that should be cherished – the thrill of discovery is everything. It was only as I started to dig into this French drama from director Moshé Mizrahi that I recognized something very familiar about the story. Based on the 1975 novel The Life Before Us by Romain Gary, Madame Rosa was not the only version of this story that I had watched in the past month. As a part of my Oscar checklist viewing this year, I watched the new Sophia Loren drama The Life Ahead on Netflix thanks to its nomination in Best Original Song – it should have won. Yes, both Madame Rosa and The Life Ahead tell the same basic story, but the execution is incredibly different in a way that makes both feel like a necessary viewing experience, if you like at least one version. The story has power and makes for a very emotionally affecting viewing experience.
The titular Madame Rosa (Simone Signoret, Diabolique) lives in Belleville, Paris, as the proprietor of a boarding home for the children of prostitutes. Once a prostitute herself, the French Jew and Holocaust survivor is now an elderly woman who struggles to get up multiple flights of stairs without passing out, not to mention the fragility of her deteriorating mind. Despite her unstable health, she remains a tough older woman who cares for the children in her household with a stern, but loving hand. Out of all the children in her care, Momo (Samy Ben-Youb), an Algerian boy said to be eleven, often finds himself standing out for one reason or another. Despite being a Jew, Madame Rosa has raised Momo as a Muslim out of respect for his heritage. The Arab-Israeli conflict is a notable part of this film, and considering certain recent world events, this film feels as timely as it has ever been. Momo is a conflicted child who is at times disdainful of his living situation while sometimes feeling greatly appreciative to have someone who cares for him.
At the core of this film, there is a message about the healing power of reconciliation and finding a common ground between unlikely parties. This is a film filled with pimps and prostitutes, impoverished individuals and more stable earners, but the story is told without judgement with an eye towards human kindness as the virtue. The underpinning of the tension between an Arab and a Jew works well as a fable for the world at large and what we can accomplish when we put aside differences. The direction from Mizrahi is not flashy, but he unveils the film with a keen eye for visuals that works well for the understated performance from Ben-Youb. Momo is a child who is trying to figure himself out, be it with Madame Rosa, a friendly film editor, or maybe even a less-than-well-meaning prostitute. Momo is less a verbal child and more of an internally tumultuous figure that the camera loves to linger on in an attempt to decipher even a bit of what is going on inside. Youth performers can sometimes struggle with roles of such depth, but that is not an issue in the slightest here.
It is Signoret that really commands the film from start to finish, though. The character of Madame Rosa is one of great complexity that can shift depending on her mood and mental capacity. At various points throughout her journey, she can be both a liar and devastatingly truthful; a figure of immense warmth or someone who can cut you like a knife with her words. She is not one single definable thing, and that is part of what makes her such a fascinating and tragic figure to follow. It is not only the weight gain and accentuated makeup that makes Signoret so transformative in this role, but the way in which she uses her words and body movements to convey specific details. Her heartwarming chemistry with Momo allows you to fall completely into what this story is trying to harness through its twists and turns. Madame Rosa may seem a bit slow to anyone who is not familiar with filmmaking from this time period or region, but those who stick with it should find a great deal to appreciate.
Video Quality
Madame Rosa comes to Blu-Ray with a new digital AVC encoded 1080p transfer in its original OAR derived from a 4K restoration. The presentation is just a hair away from pristine, but the new restoration looks really excellent throughout most of the runtime. There are occasional minor specks of print damage, but overall clarity and detail is mighty impressive. The shots inside the apartment specifically are packed with little details in the production design that are easily noticeable thanks to this transfer. The picture tends to run a bit soft in long shots, likely to be contributed to the source material, but colors are well saturated in a visually splendid way. Skin tones are natural and consistent with subtle facial features easily noticeable in closeup. Black levels hold up well with very little in the way of crush. Digital noise does not present as a major issue here. This new presentation is very beautiful and likely looks better than it ever has before. Kino Classics has done a fantastic job with this one.
Audio Quality
The Blu-Ray disc comes with a very capable DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track in the original French with optional English subtitles. The moving, memorable score sounds great throughout the duration of the film, as it settles you into the emotions of the characters. There are moments where it threatens to overwhelm the dialogue, but the track maintains a good balance so that dialogue comes through clearly. Environmental sounds such as city noises or weather effects are rendered well alongside everything else. There does not seem to be any majorly noticeable instances of age-related wear and tear. Kino Classics has given this film the perfectly preserved, faithful audio presentation it deserves.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary: Author and Film Critic Kat Ellinger discusses the importance of this restoration for the auteur, the dark history of the creative figures, comparisons to the novel, the use of the Arab-Israeli conflict, the daring performance from Signoret and more. This is a pretty great listen that fans of the film will appreciate.
- Trailers: There are trailers provided for Ponette, Tous les matins du monde and Under the Sand.
Final Thoughts
Madame Rosa is a touching story about the unlikely bonds that form between people. The film does an excellent job of showing how no life should be tossed away just because of circumstances from your past. The film is as relevant as it has ever been, and the impeccable performances from Simone Signoret and Samy Ben-Youb remain deeply affecting. Kino Classics has delivered a Blu-Ray that knocks it out of the park with the A/V presentation while also including a proper commentary track. If you are a fan of French cinema or recently watched the newest adaptation of the story and are curious how this one stacks up, this film is definitely worth your time. Recommended
Madame Rosa will be available to purchase on Blu-Ray and DVD on May 18, 2021.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Kino Classics has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
