Rosa Peral's Tapes (2023) Movie Review

 

Rosa Peral's Tapes (Original title: Las cintas de Rosa Peral) | 2023 | 1h 20m
Genre: Crime/Documentary | Country: Spain
Director: Carles Vidal Novellas, Manuel Pérez Cáceres, Carlos Agulló
IMDB: 5.5
My Rate: 7/10

Rosa Peral is accused of premeditated murder of her partner, and the opinion formed by the media about her as a 'cruel widow' makes it difficult for her to defend herself. This documentary is the first time Rosa clearly expresses her opinion through an interview from inside prison.

Warning:

Contains harsh language.

 

Synopsis:

Rosa Peral gives her first interview regarding the murder case that has landed her in prison. Rosa states that she is a victim of injustice due to the bad image created by the media about her and her personality. Rosa feels that the image formed by the media is not entirely true, portraying her as a 'loose' woman who has many relationships with men simultaneously, causing her to be judged unfairly.

The public prosecutor explains the judicial process experienced by Rosa and how her personal life becomes important to know. The murder case actually lacks much supporting evidence from the crime scene because the case was uncovered 12 days after the incident. Rosa became the main suspect because of her close relationship with the victim, so a thorough investigation of Rosa had to be conducted.

Rosa's lawyer points out many things ignored by the prosecutor that, if thought logically, would make sense. For example, when Rosa says she was 'afraid' but her actions show otherwise. This could be a method of self-protection carried out by her.

The media admits that the reporting was not entirely true and was excessive. As media, creating an interesting 'story' that makes the public curious is their main goal. Hence, many narratives are exaggerated.

The family feels somewhat regretful about the judicial process experienced by Rosa. They believe that Rosa is not entirely guilty. This also affects the health condition of Rosa's family.

What are your thoughts on this case?

Review:

This documentary is based on a true story and focuses mainly on Rosa’s perspective, one of the suspects accused of premeditated murder. The story has also been adapted into a series titled Burning Body, though differences are expected due to entertainment needs.

In this documentary, most of the viewpoints come from Rosa and several people who 'defend' her, such as her lawyer, her father, and the media who feel they have contributed to damaging Rosa’s reputation in society. We also see another perspective from the Public Prosecutor, who shares his opinion about the case and Rosa’s 'involvement' in the crime. The central topic is Rosa’s feeling that she was not judged fairly due to the image created by the media, which likely influenced the law enforcement’s viewpoint.

The documentary is presented quite well, showing real interviews with Rosa and other figures, clips from court sessions, and flashbacks of Rosa’s past with her family. This allows the audience to somewhat feel the atmosphere that might occur in the courtroom, although it still does not enable full understanding of the case.

Through this documentary, Rosa wants to convey things that may not have been revealed or were overlooked in court. If we look only from one side as shown in this film, we might sympathize with Rosa. We realize that the case’s disclosure process seems somewhat odd, mainly because Rosa was rumored to be a ‘player’ with many men, thus supposedly having a motive for the murder.

However, to claim the trial process was ‘unfair,’ we should also examine the trial process experienced by Albert, the other suspect. This way, we can be certain and have a strong basis for comparing how they were treated in court. Setting that aside, the documentary is presented quite well, systematically, and is easy to understand.

 

Memorable scene:

Rosa says that she chose not to report the crime she witnessed to protect her children. In this scene, we generally see that victims or those who feel weaker often choose to remain silent after experiencing bad events. Although we cannot label Rosa as a ‘victim,’ this is a common occurrence.

 
Memorable dialogue:

"Rosa Peral did not get a fair trial"

 

Ending:

Cliffhanger

 

Recommendation:

Worth to Watch

(Aluna)