In what has become an annual tradition, I have decided to embark in a third round of the 50 Movies Project. The premise is simple — I have put together a list of 50 movies that I feel I absolutely must see in order to continue my progression as a film lover. With so many films to see, it’s easy to get off track and forget about some of the essentials. This is my way of making sure I watch those that have been on my “must see” list for too long.
![Rosemary's Baby [1968]](https://twscritic.files.wordpress.com/2013/11/rosemarys-baby-poster.jpg)
Rosemary’s Baby [1968]
Director: Roman Polanski
Writers: Ira Levin (novel), Roman Polanski (screenplay)
Country: USA
Genre: Drama/Horror/Mystery
Starring: Mia Farrow, John Cassavetes, Ruth Gordon, Sidney Blackmer, Ralph Bellamy
Running Time: 136 minutes
I will never look at chocolate mousse the same way again.
Rosemary’s Baby (based on the best-selling 1967 novel of the same name) tells the bizarrely horrific story of young and naive housewife, Rosemary Woodhouse (Mia Farrow). After she moves into a luxurious new NYC apartment with her husband, a TV/radio actor named Guy (John Cassavetes), the newlyweds are introduced to an elderly couple next door. These neighbors, Minnie (Ruth Gordon) and Roman Castevet (Sidney Blackmer), are eccentric but also very friendly, and they immediately take an interest to the Woodhouses.
While the Castevets initially appear to be harmless, there is definitely something peculiar about them. For one, shortly after meeting them, Rosemary and Guy seem to run into an unexpected string of good luck. Guy, after failing to get a part in a major production, gets a phone call the next morning saying that the original actor was badly injured, and the part is now his. And Rosemary, eagerly wanting to start a family, becomes pregnant with relative ease.
Nevermind that on the night of conception, Rosemary has a terrifying dream that she was raped by the Devil himself. Nevermind that on that same night, she had blacked out after eating some seemingly tainted chocolate mousse from Minnie.
![Rosemary's Baby [1968]](https://twscritic.files.wordpress.com/2013/11/rosemarys-baby.jpg)
Poor, poor Rosemary. Now pregnant, she is forced to listen to advice from everyone around her. Minnie and Roman push a new doctor, Dr. Abraham Sapirstein (Ralph Bellamy), a good friend of theirs, onto her, and he provides medical advice that is anything but conventional. His recommendation is to avoid pills in favor of drinking a strange herb cocktail that Minnie brings over every day. And so it goes, with the Castevets, Dr. Sapirstein and even Guy pushing a bizarre regimen onto Rosemary, who takes it all in like the submissive housewife that she is. She has her suspicions, but she is so blind in her trust to her new friends that she listens to them for far too long.
Rosemary’s Baby is effective because it excels in building the suspense while making us question just what is real and what isn’t. While there’s clearly something wrong, nothing in the film is entirely black-and-white. Perhaps Rosemary is just struggling to cope mentally with her newfound pregnancy? Hell, she’s not even sure what to believe, even as a close friend leaves behind a telling book about the occult.
![Rosemary's Baby [1968]](https://twscritic.files.wordpress.com/2013/11/rosemarys-baby-ruth-gordon-and-sidney-blackmer.jpg)
Mia Farrow is also the perfect fit for Rosemary, as she has a childlike sensibility that makes her come across as so innocent and vulnerable. While Rosemary is clearly intelligent, she is too submissive for her own good. Her naivity is perhaps a sign of the times, but it’s a little hard to digest in today’s age. There were so many times where I just wanted to yell at her to stand up for herself — but alas, the others continued to prey on her, controlling her body and pregnancy to fit their needs.
As such, Rosemary’s Baby is a harrowing watch, and it has a masterful way of getting under your skin. It’s also darkly comic at times, especially when the Castevets are on screen. Ruth Gordon won an Oscar for her performance as Minnie, and her overbearing personality is both amusing and alarming. This film is a shining example of how to effectively craft psychological horror, even with the ineptitude of our frail young protagonist.
You hit the nail on the head when you said the film was a harrowing watch. It is indeed. Such an iconic film that holds up very well to this day. So dynamic and complex yet visually very simple and frightening. Great job! Thanks!
You’re right, man — it does hold up quite well. It really has a way of crawling under the skin, doesn’t it? 🙂
Oh yes, it does. What is also scary is how it unfolds. The layers that Polanski peels back always reveal something even more terrifying. It surely makes the skin crawl.
Great review. I need to add this movie to my must watch list
Thanks! Hope you enjoy it.
Less scary and more suspenseful as you expect something to happen, but you just know what, when or how. You just know something bad will eventually occur, and the time waiting and lurking just kills you. Or, at least that’s how I felt once it was all going on and over. Good review Eric.
Yeah, this one isn’t scary so much as it is unnerving. Thanks, Dan.
Nice review. I saw this over the summer in a theatrical screening and thought it was superb. I think it’s Polanski’s best after Chinatown.
I’m still digging into Polanski’s filmography, but so far I would have to agree with you. Damn good film.
Awesome review! I agree with every bit of it. I wanted to slap Rosemary because of how susceptible she was, but the movie wouldn’t have been half as interesting if Rosemary was more outspoken.
Thanks! And you’re right — even though Rosemary was so submissive, there wouldn’t have been much of a film without this behavior.
Glad you liked the film! I love Polanski’s apartment trilogy. The Tenant and Repulsion are even more creepy than this one.
Oh yeah, I need to make it a point to finish this trilogy sooner rather than later. I’ve heard amazing things about Repulsion especially.
Hi, Eric:
Good stuff!
‘Rosemary’s Baby’ is a great film to take in and get a grasp of Roman Polanski’s very unique and oblique way of direction. Usually tackling large topics. And allowing the audience to see only what Polanski wants them to see.
Also contains John Cassavettes’ second or third best role as a superb, yet slimy louse!
Cassavetes was great in this — I’m going to have to seek out some of his other acting roles. My only other experience with his work was his directorial debut, Shadows.
Great review Eric. I haven’t seen this one as the premise creeps me out so much. ‘Harrowing’ sounds like a good way to describe this.
Thanks, Ruth! This one definitely has a creepy premise, though it’s never really as scary as it sounds. Just very unsettling.