Rosemary's Baby

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Horrorphile - January 2009

Rosemary's Baby

January 19th 2009 23:50

Fresh from the box office success of Repulsion (1965) and the critical success of Cul-de-Sac, director Roman Polanski was lured to Hollywood by Paramount head Robert Evans with the promise of a doing a skiing movie. The snow flick turned out to be The Fearless Vampire Killers (1967), but Evans was more serious about a book he’d discovered, Rosemary’s Baby by Ira Levin.

Polanski read the book compulsively in his hotel room and the next morning signed on the dotted line. As it turned out his screenplay adaptation pulled whole sections directly from the novel, especially dialogue, colour schemes and costuming. The screenplay would earn him an Oscar nomination.

Rosemary’s Baby (1968) is a movie about Satanism, paranoia and betrayal. The movie begins like a “Doris Day” melodrama, but Polanski tightens the supernatural thriller noose with expert handling. By movie’s end everything has become diabolically clear, and Lucifer is a proud papa.

Rosemary's Baby John Cassevetes and Mia Farrow

John Cassevetes and Mia Farrow as Guy and Rosemary Woodhouse

Rosemary (Mia Farrow) and her actor hubbie Guy (John Cassavetes) rent a huge Upper Westside Manhattan apartment in the Bramford block (actually the famous Dakota building). The landlord is a tad eccentric, but nothing compared to their neighbours, Minnie (Ruth Gordon) and Roman (Sidney Blackmer) Castevet.

The irrepressible Ruth Gordon as Minnie Castevet

Rosemary becomes pregnant, and Minnie and Roman are right there to make the next nine months as comfortable and pleasant as could be. Rosemary, however, quickly becomes tired of their incessant curiosity and on-hand application of medicinal remedies to ease her pregnancy. Guy, on the other hand, appears to become more and more distant.

Rosemary's neighbour Terry (Victoria Vetri aka Playboy playmate Angela Dorian)

Various incidents of a troubling nature begin to occur as Rosemary attempts to prize the Castevets out of her inner sanctum. Guy’s not doing much to help her, and her dreams are turning to nightmares. What is it that she’s being primed for, and what exactly is that dubious-smelling tannis root charm?!

Rosemary’s Baby has over the years become regarded as one of the most critically-acclaimed horror movies of its period, even of all time. It won a slue of awards in the years immediately following its release, including an Oscar for Ruth Gordon’s brilliant performance as prying, two-faced Minnie. It’s a powerful movie about trust and deception; the nightmarish reality that all that you thought that was good and true is darkly manipulative and evil.

Rosemary has a bad dream with scratches to prove it

I’m a huge fan of Roman Polanski. His gift for brilliant visual narrative; the clever manipulation of sound and image, his composition and editing sense are all superb. Rosemary’s Baby is a great example indeed. It’s not among my favourite of his movies (Cul-de-Sac has been one of my top ten favourite films for more than fifteen years), but I still regard it very highly.

Rosemary's Baby Ruth Gordon and Sidney Blackmer

Minnie with husband Roman (Sidney Blackmer) insist on more cake

I recently finished reading an excellent book of interviews with Polanski which date back to the mid-60s (most of which were originally published in French or Polish). In several of the interviews done during the 70s and 80s he refers to Rosemary’s Baby as one of the most accomplished movies he’s ever made. Although it’s a Hollywood production, executive producer Robert Evans gave Polanski a lot of creative control. Curiously the movie is produced by William Castle, a prolific and renowned B-movie filmmaker. Castle actually had the novel’s rights first, but Evans offered to green-light the production, as long as Castle didn’t direct.

Rosemary demands to see her baby

Rosemary’s Baby delivers in spades (pun intended), from the beginnings where the audience is lulled into a false sense of security with moments of light humour, through to unusual sequences of adult sensuality and even dark eroticism (although I doubt very much it’s Mia Farrow’s breasts on display [my wife and I noticed the nipples changed from body double to body double!]). In fact I’d forgotten just how subversive the movie’s material actually is for a 1968 commercial horror movie. Yet the movie skillfully maneuvers around having to rely on shock effects. This is an atmospheric character study, the kind of stuff Polanski does so well.

Seems he has his father's eyes ...

There’ve been plenty of rumours and curious tidbits associated with Rosemary’s Baby over the years; supposedly The Church of Satan’s Anton LaVey provided technical advice and played the Devil himself during the movie’s rape sequence, but this was later proved false, Mia Farrow is actually eating raw liver in one scene, Tony Curtis provides the voice on the phone of the actor blinded by a witch’s curse (much to Mia Farrow’s genuine confusion), Polanski and Evans were desperate to cast Robert Redford as Guy, Polanski found Cassevetes' method-style of acting infuriating, apparently Polanski’s then wife, the late Sharon Tate, appears as one of Rosemary’s friends at a party, and Mia Farrow received her divorce papers from Frank Sinatra on-set.

Rather dubiously Hollywood supertrash producer/director Michael Bay’s company Platinum Dunes is looking at doing a remake and are currently scoping for screenwriters.

Publicity shot

Here's the original trailer:

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Posted By: Bryn - Category: movie reviews

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Comments

11 Comments. [ Add A Comment ]

Comment by James Rickard

January 20th 2009 00:11

unlucky_ fishermen.com
Angling Fish
Check this out...

Excellent review! (Why do I always say that when someone likes a movie I like?) Although it was made a long time ago, this is one movie you never see around very much. All I ca say is that if you get a chance, watch it. It's not a slasher or anything like that--One of the best horror movies around!!!

Comment by Damo

January 20th 2009 00:22

I have vague recollections of seeing this when I was 8 or 10. However I clearly remember seeing a poorly made sequel that came some years later.

However it is a shame that Polanski was evicted from Hollywood. The place has gone down hill since.
Thanks for mentioning 'Fearless Vampire Killers.' It was a blast.

Excellent review.

Comment by Natalie 2

January 20th 2009 10:55

My Life My Muse
Beta Girl Blog

Ah yes. One of my all time favorites. (I'm beginning to see a pattern emerging here, Bryn...we have some very similar tastes!)

There really aren't films like this anymore, are there? The atmosphere of this film has no comparable modern counterpart, in my view.

For anyone to attempt a sequel would be a crime!

Comment by Natalie 2

January 20th 2009 10:56

My Life My Muse
Beta Girl Blog

By sequel I meant remake.

Comment by Jason King

January 20th 2009 19:02

Sydney Table
Salty Popcorn
Total Randomness

I haven't seen this for years - absolutely loved it and want to see it again. Why do we have to have another perfectly brilliant film remade into a crappy washed down version with no emotion! Damn you Micheal Bay!!

Comment by Cibbuano

January 20th 2009 22:17

Hunt Famous
Orble Post of the Day
Fat Cult
Techbreak

great movie... an interesting horror that serves only to creep the hell outta you... always be wary of friendly elderly neighbors!

Comment by Bryn

January 21st 2009 00:44

Horrorphile

Cheers for the comments everyone!

Damo, the sequel was called Look What's Happened to Rosemary's Baby which was made for television in 1976. I haven't seen it. And don't plan to either.

Comment by Cibbuano

January 21st 2009 21:15

Hunt Famous
Orble Post of the Day
Fat Cult
Techbreak

really? The nipples change? I'll have to investigate...

Comment by Bryn

January 22nd 2009 21:26

Horrorphile

Cibby, to be more precise, the aureola size seems to change in size and apperance ... but perhaps I'm just being pedantic

Comment by Calum Wilson Austin

February 20th 2009 13:38

The Big Kahuna Burger
Bloody Jaw

This isn't even a review.

It's a glorified synopsis.

It's a damn wikipedia article.

Comment by Bryn

February 21st 2009 02:37

Horrorphile

Calum, are you for real? Get a lifestyle mate.

[ Previous - FANGORIA: The Scarlet Years 1979 - 1988 ]

[ Next - Underworld: Rise of the Lycans ]

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