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 (5)
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Under Roman Polanski's chilling direction, a classic thriller is born. Rosemary (Mia Farrow) and Guy Woodhouse (John Cassavetes) are newlyweds, but Rosemary has no idea that her wedded bliss is about to come to a horrific end. Her husband's ambition as a struggling actor is about to plunge her into an abyss of terror like she has never known. In exchange for a taste of fame, Guy makes a deal with the devil that puts his wife and soul in jeopardy. When Rosemary becomes pregnant, her husband becomes odd, her neighbors (Sidney Blackmer and Ruth Gordon) border on obsessive and her normal life turns into a surreal nightmare. Slowly, she begins to realize that a seed of evil has been planted…and she is its host. (Paramount Home Entertainment)
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Reviews (9)
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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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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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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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%.
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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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