Jean-Pierre Dardenne, one of the two brothers who authored 'Rosetta' was co-director a couple of years before this film of a strong documentary describing the life of the homeless orphan children in post-Communist Romania. That film which became a repeated item on some European TV channels like Arte-TV when they need to say something about Romania seems to have inspired the Dardenne brothers in making 'Rosetta'. The difference is that Rosetta is not a documentary, but a low-budget art film. The focus however is the same - the desperate life of a teenager who is forced to fight for her basic survival in a world and within a system which does not seem to offer her any help. She fights not only to survive but also to keep some dignity, although the lack of a proper childhood left her without tools to manage basic human relations, to understand and receive friendship.
There is a strong moral and social message in this film. Most of the time the camera focuses on the actress Emilie Dequenne who won a Cannes prize for her performance. The problem is that the lack of action and events in the film, although keeping it simple and direct, cannot sustain the movie as a piece of art. It takes more than a strong message and good acting for a great film . What works well in a documentary is not good enough for a full length feature film. 'Rosetta' lacks complexity and the direct approach eventually gives the perception of simplicity, decreasing the overall impact. 6 out of 10 on my personal scale.
There is a strong moral and social message in this film. Most of the time the camera focuses on the actress Emilie Dequenne who won a Cannes prize for her performance. The problem is that the lack of action and events in the film, although keeping it simple and direct, cannot sustain the movie as a piece of art. It takes more than a strong message and good acting for a great film . What works well in a documentary is not good enough for a full length feature film. 'Rosetta' lacks complexity and the direct approach eventually gives the perception of simplicity, decreasing the overall impact. 6 out of 10 on my personal scale.