Simply A Masterpiece

Good , But It Is Overrated By Some

Boring

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

The success in the life has a heavy price to pay,it's has been happening so many times,yesterday,today and forever,The Rose show exactly how it works, Bette Midler has a very convincing acting as dying singer,who needs a break to put your head on ordinary life,but a never ending of agreements for money put everything to loose...including a own soul and life...this movie is a bitter criticism of an entire generation of fame end up a dead end!!! However the movie has minor mistake in the beginning when Rose already famous sings in small venues...Resume:First watch: 1985 / How many: 2 / Source: TV-DVD / Rating: 7

I recall this film being a bit of a big deal when it came out, even though I never saw it until now. And I did not know that the star character was supposed to be sort of like Janis Joplin. But I was not twenty minutes in before I realized that was exactly what it was. Bette Midler certainly had the pipes to pull off this role. I understand that she made her chops as a singer before doing any acting, so it stands to reason. It was all okay. Nothing really special, nothing really wrong with it. I did wonder about the characters singing the 1976 song "The Fire Down Below" in a movie set in 1969, but maybe it is older than I thought.

While the film is a very good one with Bette Midler giving a marvelous Oscar nominated performance, Ms. Midler is at worst when she belts out the songs. All you basically hear is loud music and Ms. Midler scream-singing.Nevertheless, Bette delivers a walloping performance as a boozy, emotionally distraught rock star caught up with drugs besides alcohol. She is emotionally unbalanced especially with the men who seem to come into and exit her lives in record time.Midler receives excellent support from Fred Forest, as an AWOL guy who befriends her, becomes her lover only to suffer repeated abuse as well as Alan Bates, in fine form as her manager unable to cope with her emotionally unbalanced behavior.Where is everyone going? This is the constant message stated by Bette (Rose) throughout the film.This is the usual story of a person's inability to handle success. Yet, Bette Midler proves herself a really competent actress.

First of all, everyone who saw this movie in 1979 (as I did) knew it was supposed to be about Janis Joplin. There was otherwise no point to the movie. A lot of the details were different, but The Rose's life was the same kind of train wreck as Janis Joplin's life. The Rose is a character that is impossible to admire. She had it all and blew it. She was stupid. An idiot. She took her somewhat marginal talents -- used them and abused them -- made lots of money and instead of living the good life descended into a hell of personal despair. I don't feel sorry for people like that. As for the singing, one can take only so much of Miss Middler's caterwauling; enough is enough. Her occasional appearances on TV were more than enough. Over 2 hours of her pseudo-Ethel-Mermanesque screeching is more than any human should endure. Most of the other characters in this film are unlikeable and despicable as well. There are no positive role models. Nothing but tragedy, bad sex, bad drugs and alcohol. This isn't entertainment. It's overwrought theatrical angst!It's typical overindulgence on the part of Hollywood -- in which the lives of movie stars and rock stars are made to seem soooo tragic. I feel so sorry for these spoiled and over-rich babies. Not!