Fall 2014 #13: Rosemary’s Baby (1968) - Roman Polanski

Of the four movies left on my list… this is most recently released one left. I guess I did not properly pace myself.

So this is somehow only the second Roman Polanski film I’ve ever seen, which is interesting because I think Chinatown is one of the few nearly perfect movies. What Polanski achieves in terms of tightness of story, surprise twists, and incredibly captivating mise-en-scène is nearly unparalleled for his time, and I knew I would love this without even having to be told how good it is.

The film centers on Rosemary (Mia Farrow) as she and her husband move into a new apartment in Manhattan and try to start a family. She meets her bizarre next-door neighbors, an old couple named Roman and Minnie Castevet. After Rosemary’s first friend in the apartment, Terry, who is a recovering drug-addict staying with the Castevets, commits suicide, Rosemary becomes suspicious of her elderly neighbors.

The film is slow and suspenseful, but includes an incredibly intense scene in the first half that definitely grabs your interest. 

Rosemary eventually does become pregnant, and things get pretty scary. Rosemary experiences incredible pains, despite the gynecologist’s (whom the Castevets recommended) insistence that it will subside. Basically there is no pregnancy glow and Rosemary starts to learn some horrific things about the people around her.

I don’t want to give too much away, because the build-up really is the crux of the film. All I can say is that Rosemary’s Baby is a classic horror film in the sense that it doesn’t need gore or even much violence to give you chills. It’s psychological and meticulous in its suspense, with just the right amount of hint that something truly terrifying will happen.

And Mia’s performance at the center of it all is fantastic. She makes you believe her while simultaneously wondering if she’s just a hysterically paranoid pregnant woman. Rooting for her to get to safety is truly thrilling, as unavoidable doom slowly falls upon her and her child.

With a last scene that will give you nightmares, it’s no wonder that Rosemary’s Baby has the lasting power that it does.

Rosemary’s Baby is actually Roman Polanski’s first American film, he optioned the rights to the book before it was even released. The film won one Oscar, for Best Supporting Actress for Ruth Gordon as Minnie Castevet. It was the only horror movie ever with an acting Oscar-win until Silence of the Lambs in 1991.