Rosemary's Baby

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% (08/04/2013)

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. (01/03/2019)

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. (02/17/2008)

The Atmosphere, the music and the actors are absolutely brilliant. The conclusion is well-executed, with solid direction. What bothered, however, me was the very slow start and it is already in a different league in terms of filmmaking, someone who did not grow up with this may find it quite hard to connect. (06/30/2004)

After watching this film for the first time years ago, I considered it a powerful experience with an effective ending. The problem is that Polanski sticks faithfully to Levin's book, and that is the stumbling block. Polanski's film is strong where the viewer doesn't know whether it's the paranoia of a woman with a risky pregnancy or a real conspiracy and the intervention of supernatural forces. Theoretically, it would work if the twist weren't notoriously known. Rosemary's Baby is one of Polanski's most successful films, and this title is usually the first that comes to mind for an average movie fan when Polanski is mentioned. At the time, the film fascinated audiences precisely because of the combination of motherhood and the then immensely popular theme of Satanism. Levin's book is about the strength of maternal love, not the psychosis of an unhappy mother. The film would simply work much better as a psychological drama than as a horror, and the literal ending is disruptive and ineffective. Moreover, it is more of a dark grotesque now than a horror. In retrospect, I appreciate Mia Farrow's performance and, above all, Polanski's traditionally meticulous direction, but the script and twist are quite off for me, so I can't rate it higher than 3 stars. Overall impression: 60%. (06/02/2011)