Die Geduld der Rosa Luxemburg (1986)

Director:

Margarethe von Trotta

Writer:

Margarethe von Trotta (writer)

Release Date:

10 April 1986 (West Germany)

Genre:

Biography | Drama

Plot:

After years of political agitation, Rosa Luxemburg, Karl Liebknecht, and Leo Jogiches form a revolutionary German party, the Spartacists.

Plot Keywords:

Political | Germany | Historical | Feminism | Berlin Germany

Awards:

4 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Barbara Sukowa	...	Rosa Luxemburg
Daniel Olbrychski	...	Leo Jogiches
Otto Sander	...	Karl Liebknecht
Adelheid Arndt	...	Luise Kautsky
Jürgen Holtz	...	Karl Kautsky
Doris Schade	...	Clara Zetkin
Hannes Jaenicke	...	Kostja Zetkin
Jan Biczycki	...	August Bebel
Karin Baal	...	Mathilde Jacob
Winfried Glatzeder	...	Paul Levi
Regina Lemnitz	...	Gertrud
Barbara Lass	...	Rosa's mother
Dayna Drozdek	...	Rosa, 6 years old
Henryk Baranowski	...	Josef, Rosa's brother
Patrizia Lazreg	...	Josef's daughter

Also Known As:

Rosa Luxemburg (Australia)

Runtime:

Sweden:123 min | USA:122 min | Argentina:123 min

Country:

Czechoslovakia | West Germany

Language:

German | Polish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Argentina:Atp | Australia:M | Finland:K-12 | Sweden:11 | UK:PG | West Germany:12 (bw)

Filming Locations:

Berlin, Germany

Company:

Bioskop Film

Trivia:

The film is dedicated to "Monika" - the costume designer, Monika Hasse, who died on 3 April 1985, while working on it.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Die Neugier immer weiter treiben (1995) (TV)

Tough and uncompromising, like Rosa.

"Rosa Luxemburg" is an inspiring and powerful portrait of Luxemburg, a Polish-German activist and Socialist/Communist who lived from 1872-1919. She was murdered during the unsuccessful Spartacist rebellion in Germany, right after Germany's defeat in World War I.

I don't know much about Luxemburg, but as the film portrays her, she was a very forceful, compassionate, and strident devotee of peace and justice for the working class. She was a member of the Socialist Democratic Party in Germany, and she also spent some time in her native Poland. Apparently she was also Jewish. Her longtime lover and working companion was also a Socialist writer who was Polish.

"Rosa Luxemburg" follows many of the major events in Rosa's life. We see her giving speeches, writing articles, and pressing the Socialist Democratic party elders for quicker movements toward "revolution." Ultimately, Rosa wanted an overthrow of the "old order," meaning the monarchic/industrial/fascist forces, and direct control of the political system by the workers themselves. She did not advocate violent means to do this, but nevertheless was painted as a dangerous radical and was thrown in jail nine times.

I enjoyed this film immensely and found it sad but extremely important. Viewers who enjoy this film might also check out "The Burning Season," "Entertaining Angels," and "Daens."