La Rose de Fer
Reaching deep, I set out to find a list of obscure horror movies on the Internet. To my distress, I found many lists. Few of these lists held titles that I had not already watched. Eventually, I stumbled on a reference to a French film called ‘La Rose de Fer’, translated ‘The Iron Rose‘. Jean Rollin directed this film in 1973.
Apparently, Rollin famously directed many horror films, mostly vampire movies, that I have never seen. I love finding a treasure trove of new material! This film does not concern vampires directly, but does deal heavily on the topic of death and its cold embrace. The Iron Rose is a masterwork of atmosphere, symbolism and mood.
Where to Watch
The Iron Rose – A Date in a Cemetery
The Iron Rose film begins with a strikingly attractive woman, played by Françoise Pascal, finding an iron rose on the beach. There is no explanation of its significance. After a moment of inspection, it is thrown back to the sea. From there, the plot moves briskly. The beautiful woman meets a handsome man at a wedding.
Stricken with desire, they agree to meet again. Two lovers go on a walk in a train-yard, treating it as it it was a giant playground for lovers. The real action begins when they happen upon an old cemetery. Momentarily finding apprehension, the couple quickly falls victim to their want for adventure. They talk a stroll through the cemetery, losing track of time.
Night falls and things get very strange.
The director clearly has artistic intent that reaches beyond the standard horror movie formula. Every shot takes full advantage of its peculiar setting. Long cinematographic sequences take the viewer on a journey into a strange world beauty, mortality and morbidity. The over-grown graveyard effuses darkness and mystery that permeates the frame.
They are not alone in this unusual world. As they glance into the periphery, several strange figures wander the cemetery. The figures wisp in and out of frame as if to become a living part of the background. Rollin clearly wants to juxtapose strangeness of life against the disquieting beauty of the ivy covered tombstones representing death.
The couple’s foray into the cemetery proves to be a terrible idea for a first date. In a moment of young lust, the couple makes love in an open crypt. When they emerge from the crypt, the trail is gone and they are lost in labyrinth of stone. They wander the graveyard while becoming increasingly paranoid and disoriented. Over time, the woman becomes more and more at ease with their situation as she becomes infatuated with the beauty of the death that surrounds her.
The graveyard becomes a liminal space where life, death, and desire become indistinguishable. The film’s pacing and sparse narrative allows the viewer to descend into its dreamlike quality, much like drifting through a waking nightmare.
A Grim Conclusion
Tension between the couple continues to build. He becomes more disoriented and erratic. She mellows into a peaceful calm. They come across the crypt where they first made love. As man goes back into the crypt to retrieve something that he left, the woman calmly closes the crypt behind him and fastens the latch, suffocating him.
She lovingly places the iron rose on the crypt before dancing through the graveyard. When the morning comes, she opens the doors and climbs down to her lover, closing the door and meeting her own death by suffocation.
The Iron Rose – Excellence in Art-House Horror
The Iron Rose film is as beautiful as it is powerful. It is more of an art film than a strict horror movie. It leaves the viewer with both a sense of dread and wonder. Françoise Pascal absolutely stuns in her role as the nameless woman. Every expression, every tear and every move demands attention. She can only be described as wonderful in her role.
Considering the minimal plot and lack of action, I am astonished at how fulfilling this film is. It is highly recommended.
The Iron Rose (1973) - A Dark Love Letter from France - Malevolentdark
Director: Jean Rollin
Date Created: 1973-01-01 00:00
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