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“He chose you, honey! From all the women in the world to be the mother of his only living son!”
Rosemary’s Baby. Oh, Rosemary’s Baby, where do I begin about this movie. For years, whenever I spoke to someone about horror movies while in high school or even college, it always came down to which movie was scarier, The Exorcist or Rosemary’s Baby. My horror freak roommate said Rosemary’s Baby was top of the game with being more psychological than jump scares. Even recently, with my co-worker, explained that The Exorcist will put a chill down your spine, but Rosemary’s Baby is the one that makes you shudder at the end. Rotten Tomatoes had Rosemary’s Baby as the #9 top 100 horror movies. The movie was nominated for two Academy Awards (Best Actress Supporting Actress and Best Screenplay) while winning Best Supporting Actress for Ruth Gordon along with AFI, American Film Institute, putting it as #9 on its 100 Thrills list
Was Rosemary’s Baby worth the effort and all the accolades??? You bet your ass it was. Roman Polanski presents a scary, spine-tingling thriller, filled and paced with the sense of impending danger all the way up until the very end. How good is this movie?? It is one that makes you go, “Awwww Hell NAW!” and yet makes you wonder at the end as goosebumps slowly rise over your naked skin in fear. This movie is so good that it will keep you hooked until the very end.
Rosemary’s Baby is a slow, deep descent into the unknown but also known. The unexpected but also the expected. That’s what makes this movie work so well. You know something is going and everything is wrong. This movie is like a perfect cocktail mix. It’s made with an ounce of a supernatural thriller with an added ounce of psychological thriller mixed in with two dashes of mystery and a pinch of WTF!
Rosemary’s Baby was adapted from a novel by Ira Levi of the same name. Director Roman Polanski, first American film, presents the supernatural story of newlyweds Rosemary (Mia Farrow) and Guy (John Cassavetes) Woodhouse. Rosemary and Guy, a struggling television actor, move into The Bramford, an old New York apartment building, which, they are told by their friend Hutch (Maurice Evans), has an infamous history and that they shouldn’t move in. Rosemary meets Terry, a nice woman who is the ward of their neighbors the Castevets. On the day, Terry leaps to her death, this is where Minnie and Roman are introduced. Now let’s stop here for a second. I wasn’t prepared for the appearance of Roman (Sidney Blackmer) and Minnie (Ruth Gordon) Castevets. The couple had on matching pink outfits. Roman Castevets rolled up in a light pink suit with the hat. I had to pause the movie and go, “DAMN! This dude is walking around in a pink suit, and he is a straight boss because he is pulling it off.” Sorry, I had to speak on that for a second.
Back to the review. Guy and Rosemary befriend the elderly, eccentric and quite intrusive Castevets. As the new couple settles in, Roman and Minnie become more and more involved in their lives, much to Rosemary’s reservation, yet Guy spends more and more time with them. Shortly after, Guy lands a very prominent Broadway role, Minnie starts showing up with homemade chocolate mousse for Rosemary, much to her dislike. When Rosemary becomes pregnant after the chocolate mousse provoked one of the strangest and craziest nightmares. First off, that is by far some of the strangest mousse to give you nightmares and secondly, the type of nightmare she has was out of this world weird and unusual. Rosemary dreams of being raped by a beast with strange eyes, hairy arms/claws, and people standing around. The Castevets begin to take a particular interest in her welfare. As Rosemary’s pregnancy grows and grows. She becomes more and more isolated as she begins to suspect that the Castevets’ and their inner circle is up to something. Everything comes to a head and revealed only after the birth of Rosemary’s Baby.
What makes this movie so good is the suspense and direction that Polanski takes you on during Rosemary’s pregnancy. He gives subtle hints at the beginning to make you go, “I don’t know about that” or “You need to get yo ass up out of there.” The reason I say this is because in the beginning, when Rosemary and Guy move into their apartment building, the first thing is the apartment. When looking at the apartment, the realtor talks about stuff being moved and how an old woman lived there, but she couldn’t have moved it. That’s red flag number one. Red flag number two is when your best friend talks about the dangers, and you still roll up in there. Red flag number three, after you move in, you start hearing satanic chanting. Awww hell naw! Power of Christ compels you, and you bounce. In all seriousness, Polanski direction and suspense keeps you so in tune with this film that it’s incredible. He makes you feel and worry for Rosemary as the movie progresses. During the first trimester of Rosemary’s pregnancy, you see Rosemary visibly pale and sickly. The girl looks like Casper the Ghost with a lack of food. Even I said, “DAMN! That girl needs a sandwich and sun” Yet, you know something is up but unsure and everyone around her seems to be okay. She would complain about her stomach pain, and the doctor she had would brush it off and say it will go away. I just remember thinking that this girl looks awful and no one will help her. Yet, we can’t help her or lift a finger. That is what Polanski did so well. He makes you feel so much for a woman that is pregnant and helpless. The wanting to help a person in need pulls at every string inside you.
Polanski direction and appeal showed highly at two scenes: the first one is the legendary rape scene. That scene was very, very weird. Let’s be real! That shit was out of this world weird. First off, how you going to drug your girl. On top of that, sit in a room full of naked ass people and watch some hairy-ass man beast rape the girl. Polanski pulls it off by making it into a dream. First, on a boat and then people all around and then boom, she wakes up. Shit was crazy. The second scene was the end. When Rosemary walked into that room with those people armed with a knife, I was like “She about to cut someone. I hope she cuts someone!” Yet Polanski instills fear into everyone as people shout Hail Satan! As Rosemary looks into the crib, she has a face of horror as someone states, the Baby has his father’s eyes. I wanted to see the Baby. SHOW ME THE BABY! Out of all of it, Polanski shows the motherly side of Rosemary. As the baby screams, she walks over to the crib and slowly rocks it. The Baby calms down as everyone looks on with smiles. She gives a warming smile. Straight chills went down my spine and a WTF!
Major props need to go to Mia Farrow. Her performance was top notch. Just the believability of her as Rosemary was great. She was so innocent and yet defenseless against unknown forces. She made you want to help her character out in so many ways. Let’s give a round of applause to Ruth Gordon. She played Minnie so well it was scary. Gordon won the Academy Award for this role, and she hit it out of the park. She was intrusive, manipulative, and so demanding. Let’s not forget Sidney Blackmer as Roman. He was like a sly fox in a human’s body or more like a wolf in sheep’s clothing. He was sinister and smooth. Preying on the weakness of one to get what he truly wanted.
When watching Rosemary’s Baby, fear is not a feeling that will overtake you. Unsure, helplessness and curiosity will lead your thoughts and emotions. The slow and steady descent into the realm of evil is around as a young wife doesn’t know what is happening. This movie is absolutely thrilling! Yet the devil walks amongst us all the time.
