Directed by:
Roman PolańskiScreenplay:
Roman PolańskiCinematography:
William A. FrakerComposer:
Krzysztof KomedaCast:
Mia Farrow, John Cassavetes, Ruth Gordon, Sidney Blackmer, Maurice Evans, Ralph Bellamy, Victoria Vetri, Charles Grodin, Tony Curtis, William Castle (more)VOD (3)
Plots(1)
A young, happily married couple, waif-like Rosemary (Mia Farrow) and struggling actor Guy (John Cassavetes), move into a spacious apartment in a venerable old building off Central Park. They are befriended by the elderly couple next door, Roman (Sidney Blackmer) and Minnie Castavet (Ruth Gordon), who seem to take a special interest in Rosemary's well-being. Shortly after another young woman in the building commits suicide by jumping out a window, Rosemary begins to be plagued by disturbing dreams, including a hallucinogenic black mass sequence in which she is raped by something "inhuman" while surrounded by a host of unlikely spectators. Rosemary discovers she is pregnant and soon falls violently ill. The Castavets offer advice and home remedies and even go so far as to talk her into seeing a new doctor of their choosing. But when the young couple's friend Hutch (Maurice Evans) exposes her eccentric but seemingly well-meaning neighbors as members of a witches' coven, Rosemary realizes that she is the victim of a deeply evil conspiracy and that no one can be trusted--not even her own husband. (official distributor synopsis)
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Reviews (9)
The diabolical Polanski, the angelic Mia Farrow, and their depressing crisis pregnancy manual wrapped in the garb of occult satanic madness. A masterpiece that is almost unrivalled in its genre in terms of atmosphere and story structure. The mismanaged finale it’s a great shame, if it weren't for that, this could have been the most intense horror experience of my life after the incomparable The Shining, instead of “only” a proper five-star movie. 90%
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It's been a while since I read Levin's book, so I can't exactly compare how much the film follows it... But I recognized the most important moments and most importantly, I got exactly the same feeling from the film version of Rosemary as I did from the literary one. The oppressive paranoia is almost palpable thanks to Polanski and the perfect Mie Farrow, the atmosphere unusually thickening... And everything is enhanced by the very strange yet fitting music by Krzysztof Komeda. Along with The Exorcist and The Omenn, Rosemary's Baby forms the “unholy trinity" of unforgettable films that are more than just horror films.
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Excellent performances, music and direction, but it’s only around the middle that it gets a proper atmosphere, up until then it’s a pretty ordinary drama. The second half, however, is a brilliant portrayal of paranoia (similar to The Tenant, Polanski knows his stuff), but unfortunately it’s somewhat devalued by the overly literal ending, which may convey the idea of the relationship of mother and child, but at the cost of the atmosphere. Overall, though, Rosemary’s Baby is very good.
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The main thing I appreciate about the whole Rosemary phenomenon is that Polanski's adaptation was made so soon after Levin's book was published. This preserved the authentic atmosphere of the story. However, with Levin, it is a joy to wade through the marginalia of the lives of the various people in the house and the vicissitudes of Rosemary and Guy's young marriage. The full spontaneous paranoia comes into play only in the final part of the book, and until then the reader might think that this is just an ordinary idyll written for the purposes of social criticism. The final whirlwind then completely changes the literary genre and the book cannot be put down until the last page. The film is more so enchanted by Levine's text and doesn't fundamentally change anything. The only thing I missed in the film was the chapter about Rosemary's defiance in which Hutch lends her a car and a cottage so she can think about whether she'll continue to stay with Guy. In this way, Rosemary, played by Mia Farrow, remains a much flatter character, which is quite a shame. And with her new hairstyle, she loses all her charm, but that's perfectly fine.
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Except for the last ten minutes, a masterpiece, brilliant in the way it confuses the viewer and encourages them to interpret the story in their own way. You can take it as a thoroughbred satanic horror film or, on the contrary, as a psychological drama of a woman gradually sinking into her paranoia, and Polanski's thoughtful direction doesn't make it any easier. On the contrary, thanks to many clever hints that can be interpreted in multiple ways, it builds the same sense of insecurity and paranoia in the viewer themselves. Unfortunately I have to agree with some of the reviews here that the ending is unsatisfying, it was a terrible disappointment for me. The cards are laid on the table all too clearly, everything is explained in a half-hearted manner and the wonderful atmosphere of uncertainty and suspicion falls to dust. If Polanski had left it open at the end, in the more ambiguous level of the whole narrative, I wouldn't have hesitated a second with the maximum rating. Such a shame.
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