Rosa la rose: fille publique: Limited Edition – Radiance Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: France, 1986
Director: Paul Vecchiali
Writer: Paul Vecchiali
Cast: Marianne Basler, Pierre Cosso, Catherine Lachens, Evelyne Buyle, Laurent Lévy, Pierre Oudrey, Régine Benedetti, Heinz Schwarzinger, Jean-Louis Rolland, Noël Simsolo, René Joly, Jacques Nolot, Jean Bollery, Stéphane Jobert, Jean Sorel

Release Date: July 21st, 2025 (UK), July 22nd, 2025 (USA)
Approximate Running Time: 87 Minutes 27 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 18 (UK), NR (USA)
Sound: LPCM Mono French
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A,B
Retail Price: £14.99 (UK), $39.95 (USA)

"On the streets of Paris, Rosa 'la rose' (Marianne Basler, Va savoir) is the belle of Les Halles. With no shortage of clients, she is beloved by her fellow working girls and spoiled by her pimp Gilbert (Jean Sorel, Belle de Jour). For her, this is a charmed life - that is until her 20th birthday arrives. Across the floor, she locks eyes with Julien (Pierre Cosso, An American Werewolf in Paris), a blue-collar worker who sees something deeper beyond her fun-loving façade." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "Rosa la rose: fille publique was restored in 2K and approved by director Paul Vecchiali. The film was supplied to Radiance Films as a digital file and is presented in the original aspect ratio."

Rosa la rose: fille publique comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 28.5 GB

Feature: 25.5 GB

The source looks excellent; flesh tones look healthy, image clarity, black levels, and compression are solid, and the image always looks organic. Also, the decor and clothing are vibrant, and colors really pop.

Audio: 5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in French with removable English subtitles. The audio sounds excellent, dialogue comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced and robust when it should.

Extras:

Extras for this release include an archival interview with director Paul Vecchiali (4 minutes 39 seconds, LPCM mono French with removable English subtitles), an archival interview with actress Marianne Basler and actor Jean Sorel (4 minutes 29 seconds, LPCM mono French with removable English subtitles), an interview with author and film critic David Jenkins (13 minutes 38 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), reversible cover art, removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings, and a 28-page booklet (limited to 3000 copies). cast & crew information, an essay titled The Only Stage is the Street written by Marina Ashioti, an archival article titled Paul, Rosa, and Les Halles, an archival article titled And, a Rose, She Lived… written by Marie Elisabeth Rouchy, and information about the transfer.

Summary:

Paul Vecchiali directed Rosa la rose: fille publique. He’s known for The Strangler, La Machine, Drugstore Romance, and At the Top of the Stairs.

An uninhibited prostitute, who indulges every man's fantasy, loses her desire to do so when she falls in love, creating a rift with her pimp.

The opening setup does a superb job establishing characters, especially the protagonist, Rosa. The first characters you see are a pair of older prostitutes, who look bored while searching for their next client. These two women only do this work because of the moment, and they rarely enjoy it. When Rosa finally arrives onscreen, the mood completely changes; there is an exuberance that follows her, and she gets off on fulfilling others desires. That said, it is not just the clients who light up in Rosa's presence; everyone does.

Considering the subject matter, Rosa la rose: fille publique’s sex scenes are not graphic, and most of them are brief. Most of the salacious material comes via dialogue; in one scene in particular, a man asks Rosa if she’s washed herself after being with a client, and when he finds out she did not have sex, he’s disappointed because he gets off on following another man’s ejaculation while it’s still warm. The longest sex scene is one of the most poignant moments in Rosa la rose: fille publique. In this scene, Rosa guides a virgin teenage boy through his first sexual encounter. While she typically works quickly, she takes her time here to ensure the moment is memorable, focusing on maximizing his pleasure.

All around, the cast are excellent in their roles. Marianne Basler, in the role of Rosa, delivers an alluring performance. She more than fulfills the role of an object of desire, and there is an honesty in her performance that enhances her character journey. The most notable cast member is Jean Sorel (Belle de Jour), who portrays Rosa's pimp, Gilbert. While most of Rosa's relationships with men are transactional, she shares a deep bond with Gilbert, which complicates her decision to leave the profession. Another performance of note is Laurent Lévy, who portrays the virgin who watches Rosa from afar.

From a production standpoint, Rosa la rose: fille publique is a film where everything falls into place. The narrative is expertly crafted, allowing key moments to resonate for an ample amount of time. Ultimately, everything culminates in a tragic finale that serves as a fitting conclusion. While the visuals allow the characters to take center stage, they also significantly enhance the overall mood of the film. Ultimately, Rosa la rose: fille publique offers an exhilarating cinematic experience that captivates you from the start, and its finale will stay with you long after the credits roll.

Rosa la rose: fille publique gets an exceptional release from Radiance Films that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and insightful extras; highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer

The Strangler - Altered Innocence (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: France, 1970
Director: Paul Vecchiali
Writer: Paul Vecchiali
Cast: Jacques Perrin, Julien Guiomar, Eva Simonet, Paul Barge, Jacqueline Danno, Hélène Surgère, Katia Cavagnac, Sonia Saviange, Jean-Pierre Miquel, Nicole Courcel

Release Date: January 30th, 2024
Approximate Running Time: 96 Minutes 5 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono French
Subtitles: English, Spanish
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $37.98

"The Strangler centers on Émile (Jacques Perrin, The Young Girls of Rochefort), a handsome young man targeting women he believes are too depressed to go on living. As multiple women fall to Émile’s suffocating white scarf, inspector Simon Dangret, the detective assigned to track down the killer, resorts to seriously unorthodox and even unethical methods to get his man with the assistance of Anna, a beautiful woman who believes herself to be a potential victim." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5

The Strangler comes on a 25 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 23 GB

Feature: 21.9 GB

Though no information is provided about this transfer source, it is in excellent shape. Flesh tones look healthy, colors are nicely saturated and at times vivid, image clarity and contrast are solid, black levels are strong, compression is very good, and grain remains intact.

Audio: 4.5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in French with removable English subtitles and removable Spanish subtitles. The audio sounds clean, clear, balanced, and robust when it should.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a newly created trailer (1 minute 35 seconds, Dolby Digital mono French with non-removable English subtitles), a video essay by Alexandra-Heller Nicholas titled Lost Boys and Sad Girls (15 minutes 8 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), and a spot gloss slipcover (limited to 2,000 units).

Other extras are trailers for She Is Conann, Stielke, Heinz, Fifteen, Irreversible, and The Wounded Man.

Summary:

Directed by Paul Vecchiali, whose other notable films are La Machine, Drugstore Romance, and At the Top of the Stairs.

The narrative revolves around a psychopath who murders lonely women.

The Strangler is a French thriller that is heavily influenced by the giallo genre. Its opening pre-credits sequence revolves around a young boy who witnesses a woman being strangled with a scarf. This key moment of trauma defines the protagonist and sets in motion the events that follow. Also, the use of past trauma is one of the more commonly used elements in the giallo genre. Another clear influence is French fantastique cinema, which reached its apex in the 1970s.

The most surprising aspect of The Strangler is how great the performances are, especially by Jacques Perrin (Cinema Paradiso) in the role of Émile, an unbalanced young man who sees himself as a conduit who performs mercy killings. Though his performance can be seen as restrained, he provides just the right amount of emotion. Another performance of note is by Julien Guiomar (Property Is No Longer a Theft) in the role of a detective who has met and is aware of Émile’s activities.

Though The Strangler delves into dark subject matter, there is also a surprising amount of humor, albeit dark humor. Some of the humor comes from the detective's passiveness when it comes to stopping Émile, while most of the humor comes from a character who steals from the recently murdered women. That being said, all of the humor is situational.

From a production standpoint, The Strangler is a film that maximizes the sum of its parts. The premise is well executed, a deliberately paced narrative does a superb job building tension, and an excellent ending provides a perfect coda. Not to be overlooked are the visuals, which are overflowing with style. Also, though there are numerous moments where women are strangled, these are not the only acts of ultraviolence that unfold in The Strangler. There is a montage of violence where Émile witnesses a woman being gang raped, a man attacking another man while welding a machete, and some other moments of carnage. Ultimately, The Strangler is a one-of-a-kind cinematic experience unlike anything that has come before or since.

The Strangler gets a first-rate release from Altered Innocence that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and an informative video essay, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer