Movie Summary
The next series of flashbacks tells the story of the Rosenstrasse protest, with Lena and Ruth as participants. Though Fabian is ultimately released, Miriam is deported to Aushwitz because of her divorce from her German husband. Hannah, having gained a new perspective on her mother’s past, returns to New York where she reconciles with Ruth. The movie ends with Hannah’s marriage, which now has her mother’s blessing.
Click here to watch the trailer for Rosenstrasse.
Click here to watch the trailer for Rosenstrasse.
Historical Review
Though Rosenstrasse presents an intense and interesting look at life in Nazi Berlin, there are many problems with the movie in terms of historical accuracy. Films that claim to portray an accurate depiction of historical events have to balance facts and entertainment; if the audience is not entertained, they will not continue watching, no matter how factually accurate the movie is. Historical films often cannot help but be sensationalized accounts of the history they portray, something that is true of Rosenstrasse.
The protest scenes are exaggerated, showing the participants as actively resisting the Nazi guards. History tells us that the protest remained entirely peaceful and silent. At one point in the film, the women start up a chant of, “I want my husband back,” which they continue even after the guards order them to stop. Another scene has the women linking arms in defiance of Nazi attempts to disperse them by threatening the group with machine guns. The film takes dramatic liberties with how the protest actually occurred in order to portray the protestors as active resistors and to heighten the sense of danger faced by the participants.
Though the film takes certain historical liberties, Rosenstrasse presents a compelling story of the participants in the Rosenstrasse protest of 1943 and gives an idea of the struggles faced by Jews and Aryans alike under the Nazi regime. The film is certainly worth watching for anyone with an interest in Nazi German history.