Rosetta

R

1999

1 hr. 35 min.

Drama

List

90%

30 Reviews

Tomatometer

83%

2,500+ Ratings

Audience Score

Belgian 17-year-old Rosetta (Émilie Dequenne) lives in a dilapidated trailer that has no running water, with only her indigent and alcoholic mother (Anne Yernaux) for company. After losing her job at a food processing plant, the teen struggles to find work in a bid to avoid falling into the same traps as her mother, but is rebuffed at every turn. Only Riquet (Fabrizio Rongione), who works at a nearby waffle stand, seems to care for Rosetta, but even that budding friendship has a price.

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Critics Consensus

Small in scope yet mighty in sheer storytelling power, Rosetta wrings heartbreaking drama out of one girl's grueling odyssey of survival.

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Dave S

Desperate to avoid a fate similar to that of her promiscuous, alcoholic mother, 17-year-old Rosetta (Emilie Duquenne) struggles to find employment in a job market that seems to have little or no interest in what she has to offer. An early offering from writers and directors Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, Rosetta is nothing if not consistent with their overall body of work – an austere social commentary on the struggles of the economically disadvantaged. The performances are strong throughout, the probing handheld camerawork, dizzying at times, is effective, and the messages regarding the unfairness of life are hammered home relentlessly. While it may not be at the same level of some of the later films from the Dardennes, it's a great introduction to what the brothers have to offer.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/25/24

Full Review

S R

1001 movies to see before you die. This was unique, but I struggled with it since I didn't identify with the main character. It was good to learn about this odd peripheral culture in France though and I appreciate what the goal was. However, I do not like the shaky camera narrative. It was on HBO.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

04/04/23

Full Review

Audience Member

A Sysiphean tragedy that's difficult to watch and really depressing because of its realism. Brilliantly filmed and acted but hard to recommend.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/28/23

Full Review

William L

A stripped-down drama on the desperation of the working class, Rosetta may trend towards idealism in its depiction of a character that steadfastly refuses charity despite her unfortunate circumstances, but makes up for it in style. Instead of sweeping orchestras accompanying Émilie Dequenne's Rosetta as she looks up from gutters, or slipping into heavy-handed theme delivery by placing Rosetta's story in a glamorous city with a seedy underbelly, this breakout film from the Dardenne Brothers delivers its story through intimacy and visual realism. Tight on scope, incorporating shaky camerawork to mimic the frantic and unstable nature of Rosetta's circumstances, and never overextending itself, the film conveys a sense of determination and sympathy without coming across as pandering. The design is genuinely influential - even today this sort of close-shot, 'window into a hidden world' story is a well-regarded way to portray the struggles of the working class. The film depicts the conflicts of job security and personal independence well, but you can just see libertarians drooling over this protagonist; "don't take handouts, but absolutely rat out your coworkers to get ahead". (3.5/5)

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/27/22

Full Review

Audience Member

Heartbreaking, it stays in my mind like Lilya 4-Ever

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

01/13/23

Full Review

Audience Member

This is an intimate and very stripped-down film with a narrow scope in terms of narrative and seems to lose it's energy in the second or third act. The lead and very young actress carries this writer-director's vision of a poverty-stricken young woman simply trying to secure a job.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/20/23

Full Review

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Luc Dardenne

Director

Jean-Pierre Dardenne

Director

Émilie Dequenne

Rosetta

Fabrizio Rongione

Riquet

Anne Yernaux

The Mother

Olivier Gourmet

The Boss

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Rob Humanick

Slant Magazine

There's something genuinely religious in Rosetta's stark portrayal of unyielding resurrection.

Rated: 4/4

Nov 12, 2012

Full Review

Lisa Schwarzbaum

Entertainment Weekly

Rated: A

Sep 7, 2011

Full Review

Globe and Mail

Rated: 3.5/4

Mar 22, 2002

Full Review

Farah Cheded

A Good Movie To Watch

A harrowing slice of social realism [...] told with relentless urgency.

Oct 28, 2023

Full Review

Mattie Lucas

From the Front Row

The Dardennes convey so much using so little, the seemingly strung together nature of the film ultimately containing a very specific and carefully plotted structure that brings a gravity to even the most mundane of events.

Rated: 3.5/4

Aug 6, 2019

Full Review

Kaleem Aftab

The List

A marvelous exposition of the continuing importance of cinema highlighting social barriers and conflict.

Rated: 5/5

Apr 13, 2019

Full Review

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Synopsis

Belgian 17-year-old Rosetta (Émilie Dequenne) lives in a dilapidated trailer that has no running water, with only her indigent and alcoholic mother (Anne Yernaux) for company. After losing her job at a food processing plant, the teen struggles to find work in a bid to avoid falling into the same traps as her mother, but is rebuffed at every turn. Only Riquet (Fabrizio Rongione), who works at a nearby waffle stand, seems to care for Rosetta, but even that budding friendship has a price.

Director: Luc Dardenne, Jean-Pierre Dardenne
Screenwriter: Luc Dardenne, Jean-Pierre Dardenne
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
Original Language: French (Canada)
Release Date (DVD): Aug 14, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA): $261.5K
Sound Mix: Surround

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