13 Roses (Spanish: Las 13 Rosas) is a 2007 historical drama film directed by Emilio Martínez Lázaro. The film features performances by Pilar López de Ayala, Verónica Sánchez, and Marta Etura. Based on true events, it portrays the harrowing story of thirteen young women, known as "las Trece Rosas", who were executed by a Francoist firing squad shortly after conclusion of the Spanish Civil War. highlighting their unwavering commitment to their ideals.
Contents
Plot
The film takes place in Madrid in 1939 during the final days of the Spanish Civil War. Virtudes and Carmen, two young idealistic Republican militants, encourage their neighbors to keep faith in the cause of the Second Republic. However, the entry of Franco’s Nationalist troops into the city is imminent. Fearing bloody repression, many Republicans flee the country, while others are either unable or unwilling to do so.
Julia, a tram conductor, and her friend Adelina, a Red Cross worker, are also active sympathizers of the Spanish Republic. While spending an evening in a nightclub watching musicians perform, one of the last bombings of the city occurs. In these dire circumstances, they befriend Blanca, whose husband, Enrique, is the band leader.
The victory of the Nationalists marks a dark turning point for Republican sympathizers. Canepa, a musician in Enrique’s band and a Republican militant, fears for his life and decides to escape the country. Blanca secretly provides him with money for his escape. Julia, meanwhile, starts a relationship with Perico, a young Nationalist soldier.
Rumors circulate about a plot to assassinate Franco upon his victorious entry, prompting the Nationalists to seek revenge. Although the young women have no involvement in the plot, they become targets due to their leftist activities. Julia is the first arrested, brutally tortured by Fontenla, the cold-hearted officer leading the interrogations. Adelina, Virtudes’ co-worker and a member of a socialist group, is turned in by her well-meaning father, who naively believes she is only wanted for questioning and will not face serious consequences.
Canepa and Teo are betrayed by friends and neighbors, leading to their arrest and torture. Canepa dies by suicide in custody. Teo, however, is released on the condition that he secretly assists authorities in capturing other Republican sympathizers. With Teo’s coerced assistance, the young women are arrested one by one until all are imprisoned. Only Carmen, the youngest, realizes Teo’s betrayal before she too is arrested. Blanca shares their fate; her crime is giving Canepa money. After enduring harsh interrogations, the group of young women is transferred to an overcrowded prison.
In jail, the reunion of the girls provides some solace amid their harsh circumstances. At one point, they even find a moment of joy in tap dancing. Their families, including Adelina’s grief-stricken father, remain hopeful for their eventual release. Blanca remains tormented by worry for her young son, whom she had to leave behind. Her dignified demeanor earns the respect of the prison warden.
The situation worsens when the imprisoned women protest the terrible sanitary conditions affecting the children held with their mothers. They collectively refuse to sing praises to the Franco regime, further angering their captors. The fate of the 13 young women is sealed when two military officers and an innocent woman are killed by leftist militants. As retribution, the regime orders the execution of some prisoners, despite their lack of involvement in the incident. A military court condemns 48 men and 13 women to death within 48 hours.
Carmen, the youngest, is the sole survivor. Devastated, she listens to the gunshots that kill her friends.
The film’s final frame asserts that most of its content is verified by historical documentation, and that the script relies heavily on actual dialogue and writings from the central characters.
Production
The film is a Spanish-Italian co-production by Enrique Cerezo PC, Pedro Costa PC and Filmexport Group.
Release
13 Roses opened on 19 October 2007. The film had a limited release in the United States in New York City.
Reception
Critical response
Jonathan Holland of Variety praised the cinematography and art direction, but remarked: "The 13 Roses largely withers on the vine. [The film] is further let down by its psychological superficiality... an uncertain treatment which convinces neither historically nor dramatically". Academic analysis by David Rodríguez-Solás discusses the film’s portrayal of victimization, suggesting that it employs melodramatic elements that may impede critical reflection on historical events.