The Rose

Rose is the rock singer at the end of the sixties who screams loudest, drinks most and earns most. Her manager keeps her permanently on tour and she gives away a little more of herself every night. The film follows a year that will not fit into a year, up to the day she returns to her home town for a final concert. Mark Rydell's film was originally designed directly around Janis Joplin; when the family refused permission the names and details were changed, but the resemblance is not hidden. Bette Midler is in her first film role and sang live, and the performance brought her an Oscar nomination. The concert footage was shot in front of real audiences and the film's energy comes from there. The real subject is not fame but an insatiable need to be loved. Who it is for: viewers who like music biographies and concert footage. Who it is not for: anyone who wants distance from addiction and collapse.