The Iron Rose (1973)

Synopsis

The movie The Iron Rose (1973) is a French horror film directed by Jean Rollin. The plot revolves around a young couple who meet at a wedding reception and arrange a date. They meet at a railway station and go for a picnic and bike ride. While cycling, they see the entrance of a lonely cemetery and decide to go inside. Once inside the huge cemetery, the woman becomes anxious. The man calms her and persuades her to enter a crypt with him. A strange man watches the couple. The man and the woman make love in the crypt.

A clown places some flowers on a nearby grave and leaves. An old woman closes the cemetery gates. When the couple finally exit the crypt, night has fallen and they cannot find their way out. They begin to panic. They discover a small building; inside are several child-sized coffins holding small skeletons. The woman becomes moody and exhibits bizarre behavior and personality changes. She locks her lover in the crypt and he suffocates. Dawn finds the woman dancing around the cemetery, and later entering the crypt herself. The old woman reopens the cemetery gates. Finding the crypt closed, she puts flowers on top of it.

Cast

• Françoise Pascal as the woman
• Hugues Quester as the man
• Nathalie Perrey as the old woman at the cemetery
• Mireille Dargent as the clown
• Michel Dalessalle as the vampire

Reviews

• 1000 Misspent Hours: “The Iron Rose is the best movie I’ve ever seen in which absolutely nothing happens. ”
• Malevolent Dark: “The Iron Rose is as beautiful as it is powerful. It is more of an art film than a strict horror movie. It leaves the viewer with both a sense of dread and wonder. ”
• Mondo Digital: “The film’s greatest assets are its lilting score by Pierre Raph and the presence of two surprisingly mainstream performers in the leads.”

Reviews

[1] Wikipedia
[2] 1000 Misspent Hours
[3] Malevolent Dark
[4] Mondo Digital