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5.3/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 5.3/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Svarta rosor remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you have a thing for black-and-white dramas that don't care about your feelings, you’ll probably find something to chew on here. If you’re looking for a light night in, keep scrolling. This is for the folks who like their cinema with a side of existential dread and characters who make choices that make you want to throw your remote.
The whole thing hinges on Inga, who is just trying to get by. Then Edvin enters the scene, a sailor with all the charm of a damp rag. His suggestion that she just find someone else to pawn the baby off on? It’s cold. Really, really cold.
There’s this one scene where they are talking near the docks. You can see the wind whipping around, and the actors look genuinely uncomfortable. It adds this weird, raw layer to the dialogue that wasn't intended, I’m sure. It makes the whole interaction feel less like a rehearsed play and more like a real, miserable Tuesday.
The pacing is… slow. It takes its sweet time getting to the point, which is either brilliant or agonizing depending on how much coffee you’ve had. I found myself staring at the background extras in the restaurant scenes. One guy in the corner is just eating the same bite of soup for three solid minutes. It’s hypnotic.
It reminds me a bit of the heavy-handed misery found in Irrungen, where the world is just waiting for the characters to fail. It’s not subtle, but it doesn't try to be. Why would it?
I caught myself thinking about the lighting. It’s very high contrast, which is great, but sometimes it hides the actors' faces so much I wasn't sure who was talking. Maybe that was the point? To make them all feel like ghosts in their own lives?
Is it a masterpiece? No. But it isn't a throwaway either. It’s got this strange, jagged energy that sticks with you. You finish it, and you don't feel great, but you don't feel like you wasted your evening either. It’s just… a lot. 🥀
I’m still thinking about the ending. It just sort of stops. No big resolution, no soaring music to tell me how to feel. Just a cut to black and the credits. It’s refreshing, honestly.