Dynamixor The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

FirstWitch A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

Suman Roberson It's a movie as timely as it is provocative and amazingly, for much of its running time, it is weirdly funny.

Rosie Searle It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

jacobs-greenwood Jeanette MacDonald is Marie de Flor, a temperamental opera singer who's just completed a performance playing Juliet in the fated lover classic from Shakespeare (note the theme); Allan Jones played Romeo. When she returns to her dressing room, she is angered when she smells that her suitor (David Niven) has been smoking in there, something she doesn't tolerate. In fact, she pretty much "rules the roost" and is the "toast of the town" in Montreal, Canada.After throwing the suitor out, Marie fusses with her attendant (Una O'Connor), who gives her a letter from her brother in prison. His parole has just been denied again. Enter her agent (Reginald Owen), who insists that Marie sees some people after the show, which she refuses, until she finds out that one of them is the Premier (Alan Mowbray). Marie then becomes the epitome of graciousness, inviting the Premier and his party to her hotel room, one which even impresses him with its lavishness. Marie's staff is terrified of her, and used to her nature ("close the window quickly before she notices"), but is surprised as Marie charms the Premier, presumably working up to asking him to pardon her brother.After she sings a song chosen by the Premier, however, she receives a ring, her brother's, from a messenger he has sent to her hotel. Upon meeting with the messenger, an Indian, in her room, Marie learns that her brother has escaped from prison, killing a Canadian Mountie in the attempt. She immediately changes clothes, packs her bags, and heads into the wilderness territory with the Indian guide to rendezvous with her brother.About this time, "we" are introduced to the Canadian Mounties, doing maneuvers and singing songs, and one of their best "trackers", who's never failed to "get his man" before, Sergeant Bruce (Nelson Eddy). Of course, Marie and Sgt. Bruce are headed to the same place, a lake lakeside community which serves as a "jumping off" point for travels into the wilderness. There are wanted posters offering $10,000 for John Flowers (James Stewart) plastered everywhere.The Indian guide made off with Marie's money so she tries singing for room and board at a local, rowdy establishment, where the men are more used to poor impressions of Mae West than a ruby-throated opera singer such as herself. Though Marie fails at this, she catches Sgt. Bruce's eye; he has already learned of the robbery and offers to assist her.Since the Indian is Marie's only link to her brother, she is intentionally vague and uncooperative. When Sgt. Bruce reveals that he knows she is Rose Marie de Flor, she tells him that she's just trying to get away from the press, and he believes her. It just so happens that tonight is the annual Indian gathering, so he rows her across the lake to the festivities, giving him a chance to "audition" his tenor skills and otherwise woo her with song. "We" are then treated to an elaborate Indian ceremony.Later, Marie is able to find the Indian alone and threatens that she'll turn him into the Mountie if he doesn't take her to her brother. Secretly, they agree to rendezvous later.The next morning, Marie and the Indian guide head off into the wilderness towards the cabin where her brother is hiding. About this time, Sgt. Bruce figures out that de Flor is Spanish for flower and "puts two and two" together. He picks up their trail and follows at a distance until, her guide leads them across the lake on horseback and, he has to rescue her from drowning. It is then that their romance begins and they sing the famous "Indian Love Call".There is more to the story, but it's 90 minutes into the film before (actor) James Stewart makes his appearance.

WhisperingBells1959 This movie was okay, but not great. I am not a big Nelson Eddy-Jeanette McDonald fan.Don't get me wrong, Jeanette McDonald has a wonderful voice, one of the best. But Nelson Eddy is extremely wooden in this movie, and his singing isn't bad, though not at all spectacular. I think Allan Jones, a tenor who had a small part in the film, had a much better voice. He was paired once with Jeanette McDonald in "The Firefly." Also, I saw 1 major flaw in the actual movie. How could Rose-Marie forgive the Seargent for throwing her brother in jail? Wasn't her brother supposed to be hanged or something? She loved her brother, too. I saw the ending as highly implausible. All she cared about was Seargent Bruce!!! But now for the positive stuff in the movie: James Stewart's acting was great, despite the fact he had a very small role. It was very interesting to see him in this movie. The Indian Love Call also added a nice touch. Jeanette McDonald sang and acted beautifully in this movie. Nelson Eddy, as well as expected from the famously wooden actor.But the movie still leaves a lot to be desired. 3/5 stars.

haustin-1 The characters fulfil the usual requirements for a formula story. Rose Marie begins as a vitriolic,hire-fire personality;Serjeant Bruce does his job,but not without misgivings."It isn't always pleasant.The sad thing (or paraphrase)is when it hurts those you love." And he is wooden and stiff. Of course,he is! He's a policeman! This film offers quite a lot besides: operas from Gounod and Puccini, and Bruce,quoting "This our life,exempt from public haunt,finds sermons in stones,books in the running brooks..." from "As you like it"...hardly the stern Mountie who appears in the song. Leading up to this song,"The Mounties," there is a particularly robust,vigorous show of horsemanship---jumping brooks,hurdles,in a specially virile setting.And in the formula, their characters alter by the ending. Eddy is in excellent voice, probably at his best,hitting a high G in "Just for you", and I would challenge any baritone to accomplish, from head to chest tone, the portamento or change from F to lower A flat in "Indian Love Call". One criticism is that Eddy's moods change with very little transition,and there are many things not PC or legal these days. A socially oriented dialog occurs when she exclaims"I thought all this (the Nature) would make you more merciful". Bruce:"Don't ever think that Nature is merciful.Nature is the cruelest policeman.When an animal sickens, the others turn on him and kill him"There are good supporting roles for Reginal Owens as Myerson,Regas as the guide,and Una O'Connor as Rose Marie's maid. In all this is very good entertainment and beats much that one sees or hears these days.

jacksflicks I'm tired of the condescending and facile "appreciations" of Eddy-MacDonald, particularly in "Rose Marie." Does no one actually pay attention to the movie?For those who dismiss Rose Marie as a "saccharine" confection, this is an operetta. Get it? O-p-e-r-e-t-t-a. Light opera. L-i-g-h-t. No more saccharine than a Nicholas Cage vehicle like It Could Happen to You. Yes, the soundtrack for the Indian spectacle sounds, alas, like the hoochee-coochee, demanded by the box office of the time, but even that unfortunate element is an interesting document of contemporary popular taste. If one claims to have the sensitivity to make judgments about a scene, he should first know how to place it in context.The production values someone complains about - for the first Eddy song - is a process shot, about the same quality as others throughout the film, which were state of the art for the time. So if one can shed silly presentist snobbery, the production values are fine. And the location shots are spectacular.Perhaps the stupidest criticism is that MacDonald and Eddy were "mediocre" talents. Yes, Eddy is famous for his supposed woodenness, but I think Rose Marie shows that with good direction - like that of W. S. Van Dyke - woodenness could become stolidity and then a buffer for heavy emotions highly prized by all actors. With Eddy it was "stiffness," but the same qualities in Cooper are called "natural" by the snobs. I challenge any other actor to deal with the inner conflict between love and duty as well as Eddy in Rose Marie. The scene when he says, "You'll remember me as just a policeman" is executed with exquisite torment and brittle irony - through that so-called "wooden" countenance.As for Jeanette MacDonald, of course she wasn't an opera singer. She had a better job! As for her "mediocre" talent, MacDonald was not only beautiful, stable and smart, she was a fine actress and had an E above high C three-octave lyrical soprano voice. That kind of voice is far from mediocre.As for Eddy's voice, it's a little on the flat side, but it's strong and masculine. In fact, both MacDonald and Eddy had highly successful solo recital careers after their breakup. Movie build-ups last only so long. After that, it's up to talent.No, Rose Marie wasn't Gone With the Wind, but it wasn't a 1936 Rocky Horror Show either. To call it camp or kitsch is ill-informed and incompetent. So you graduates of the David Thomson (a hack who seems to have callow film snobs in his thrall) school of criticism, get a life. Rose Marie is a fine work of it's genre - a filmed operetta, no more, no less. Watch it as that and enjoy!Oh yes, a note about the mutual feelings between MacDonald and Eddy, again dismissed by an ill-informed reviewer: documents submitted by their children are more than just "gossip." Also, before speaking about something you know nothing about, why not check out a photo of MacDonald's beloved husband, Gene Raymond. Remind you of anyone you know?