The Iron Rose
a.k.a. La rose de fer
1973 · Directed by Jean Rollin · France
Warning: contains plot spoilers. Only watch if you are a fan of dreamlike, surreal French horror, and then read on.
The Iron Rose is a 1973 arthouse horror by French auteur Jean Rollin. Rollin was famous for his erotic vampire films, but this is his first not to feature them.
Francoise Pascal, of Mind Your Language fame, is courted by Hugues Quester when they meet at a wedding reception. They go on a first date, a bike ride, and stop at a cemetery. They enter a crypt and make out, only emerging when it is dark. They find themselves lost in the cemetery and a personality change takes over them both as they experience fear and panic. Pascal, aka The Girl, locks the Boy in the crypt when he returns to retrieve his watch. She dances round the cemetery as he suffocates. When daylight arrives she descends into the crypt, closing the shutters and embracing death.
This is only my third Rollin film I can recall watching. Fascination remains a high point and is definitely worth seeking out; The Schoolgirl Hitchhikers is also a worthy addition to any exploitation viewing list. I will file The Iron Rose under odd films, although Francoise Pascal is certainly a highlight in this gothic curiosity.
Gallery
Trailer
From the score
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Pierre Raph – La Rose de Fer (Générique)
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Pierre Raph – music from La Rose de Fer
