Rosemary's Baby (1968)

Okay, before I start the review, I want to make a disclaimer: I do not support the actions of the director of this movie. Although I deeply praise the film for its artistic direction and impact on cinema, I do not, I repeat, DO NOT support the actions of director Roman Polanski and his crime back in 1977. If you want to look it up, just Google it. Without further ado, here's the review of the all-time horror classic Rosemary's Baby. 

Just in time for Halloween, I've decided to check out Rosemary's Baby. It's been 56 years and this movie still holds up, primarily because of its cultural themes surrounding Women's Liberation, Religion, Women's Health rights, and the occult. It was during the early to mid-sixties when the first-wave feminist movement was starting to take heed. The women in this era were straying far away from the confines of the conservative 1950s. No longer did they play the role of the housewife/homemaker, tending to the kids while the husband came home for a five-course meal. These women had agency and a lot more to give to society than just staying in the kitchen and being subservient. 

Author Ira Levin took wind of this and incorporated these themes in his 1967 novel, Rosemary's Baby, and another classic gem, The Stepford Wives. Regarding Rosemary's Baby, the film is mostly faithful to the novel, beat for beat. But the novel gives more development to Rosemary's backstory. For starters, Rosemary comes from a large family in a small town in Omaha with a catholic upbringing. It's implied that she doesn't get along with most of her family members and has recently become agnostic due to the strict rules of her religion. When one of her siblings gives her enough money to get out of dodge, Rosemary moves to New York City. In this case, Rosemary is in the same league as Anne from Valley of the Dolls. A small-town girl who wants to break out of the traditions of said small town and goes on a journey of self-discovery in New York City. I also get the feeling that Rosemary is an artsy type as there is mention of her going to a sculpting class and gaining an interest in interior design. Now the most important part of the novel is, of course, the ending. We get into Rosemary's thoughts and her contemplating on whether she should kill herself and the baby or raise it as her own. But given her motherly instincts, Rosemary chooses the latter, seeing how frightened the baby looked despite his demonic appearance. However, there is one part of the ending that stands out for me: I like how Rosemary stands up to cult leader Roman Castevet (Steven Marcato is his real name, more on that later) and says that she chooses the name Andrew for the baby while Roman wants to name the baby after his father, Adrian. Rosemary wins by a long shot and she has the say so on how to raise her son. Although it's basically a downer ending, It's good that Rosemary gains a backbone and there might be hope for Andrew to become a decent person. 

Now, let's focus on the film:

Most of the focus is centered around Rosemary and Guy's relationship. It was actually the main topic in my film writing class. At the start of the film, they're sort of in their honeymoon phase. Young, fresh, bright-eyed, and hopeful, Rosemary and Guy set their sights on building a home and eventually building a family. You can see why Rosemary is drawn to Guy. He's naturally charismatic, an actor (which makes him an artsy type just like Rosemary), and promises her a life much greater than her own. There are hints of how self-absorbed Guy is but it's not too bad. But once we get to the second act, that's where things get a little fucked up. 

It all starts with a chocolate mousse made by their next-door neighbor Minnie. Rosemary finds it delicious at first but then there's a chalky undertaste, indicating that the mousse might be drugged. Rosemary follows her instincts and discards it right away but Guy is the one who insists and eventually guilt trips into finishing the mousse. Rightfully, Rosemary dumps some of the mousse into the napkin and pretends to eat it. However, the aftereffects have already kicked in and Rosemary passes out into a deep psychosis while Guy undresses her for some reason.

Things start to become sinister when, just as Rosemary breaks out of her psychosis, she sees the eyes of the devil himself, realizing that this is definitely not a dream, this is really happening! This is downright one of the scariest, most disturbing scenes, not only because Rosemary is literally getting raped by the devil, but because of how she's surrounded by these weird, naked people chanting and watching the act. It's some sick shit, even back in the day.

The next morning, Rosemary tries to recollect what happened the other night. Guy admits that he had his way with her while she was unconscious because he didn't want to miss "baby night. This is the moment that ends their honeymoon phase. What's so fucked up about this is how nonchalant Guy is about the situation while Rosemary is deeply disturbed. The topic of marital rape was uncommon, but looking at it in a modern lens, what Guy did was a total violation. Just because you're married to someone doesn't give you the right to own her/his body. This is moreso apparent in the novel as Rosemary justifiably keeps her distance away from Guy by staying at Hutch's cabin. But in the film, although, Rosemary is left shaken, she never contemplates going away to her ease mind though, it would've been appreciated. So this was a huge red flag and showcases how much of a narcasist Guy really is. 

But once the news comes of Rosemary's pregnancy, she and Guy reconcile, however, Rosemary reminds Guy that they should be open with one another. Whether Guy reciprocates this is debatable.

To distract herself from the labor pains, Rosemary gets her a haircut. Guy, of course, is not a fan of it and even says that "it's one of the worst decisions she ever made." It's ironic he says that because it's actually one of the most fashionable hairstyles of the 1960s. Even Tyra Banks famously wanted one of her models to sport the hairstyle in her reality show America's Next Top Model. So that is another red flag for Guy. He obviously sees Rosemary a particular way and believes that longer hair on a woman adds to her feminity. I guess Guy is uncomfortable that Rosemary is adapting so easily to the city life, therefore straying from the naive small-town girl she used to be. 

Guy's gaslighting is on a roll this time even going so far as throwing away a book gifted by her deceased friend, Hutch. This incident is what triggers Rosemary's paranoia, causing an immense mistrust in Guy. 

Well into the third act, she uncovers Guy's conspiracy towards her and his allegiance to the cult. Rosemary was once charmed by Guy's inherited self-absorption, becoming his personal cheerleader and being the dutiful housewife.   

But she finds herself disgusted, knowing now that she and her baby are used as a vessel for his success. 

Guy has shown himself to be a textbook narcist, charming his way to his own gain. To me, it is sort of like if you picture this young Hollywood couple, working their way up to the A-list but the girl has to do certain favors for a Hollywood Producer for the guy to get a role in a major film. But the producer in question is the Devil himself. I can't think of another actor like John Cassavetes who could play a detestable character like Guy and make him likable. There had been other candidates such as Robert Redford and even Jack Nicholson would've been an ideal choice, but Polanski felt that Cassavetes was the right choice, even though Cassavetes was reluctant to take on such a role. But in hindsight, his reluctance is what makes Guy a more interesting character. Although Guy lures his wife to be a vessel for the antichrist, you can tell he's not comfortable with it. And that's the thing, Cassavetes doesn't play him off like an outright jackass, he's very subtle with it, which the role requires. Not to mention, he and Mia Farrow actually have good chemistry, which makes his betrayal more devastating. 

Although the relationship between Rosemary and Guy is the centerpiece of the film, Guy is not actually the antagonist. That honor goes to Minnie and Roman Castevet. Their introduction starts with a tragedy. 

Before Rosemary's arrival, The Castevets takes in a troubled young girl named Terry, who recently kicked a drug habit. While doing the laundry, Rosemary meets up with her and the two become fast friends. 

But it's not until Terry's sudden suicide that Rosemary and Guy meet Minnie and Roman Castevets, weaving them tightly around their web. At first, both Rosemary and Guy object to their invitations, seeing them as just another silly old couple. But once Roman starts stroking Guy's ego, it all goes down here from there. 

Looking into it, Roman/Steven is technically the main antagonist since it's revealed that he is the son of a notorious Satan-worshiper, Adrian Marcato, but he's not the one who drives the story. This leads us to...

Minnie Castevet, played by the amazingly talented Ruth Gordon. What makes the character engaging is that she comes off as a warm and fuzzy grandma who brings cookies and milk and tells stories by the fireplace. Gordon portrays her as a real person and you would never think that she would be a leader of a satanic cult. What I like about the Castevets is that they're dressed in these colorful pastels and not the usual black attire that's usually associated with Satan worshipers. Not only does it fool Rosemary, but it also fools the viewers regarding their perception of them. 

What sets Minnie apart from Roman is that she is a master of persuasion. While Roman impresses Guy with stories of meeting with legendary theater moguls, Minnie, on the other hand, tries to have a genuine connection with Rosemary. Therefore, once the news comes of Rosemary's pregnancy, Minnie suggests that she see Dr. Sarpenstien to do further tests on her. Then Minnie starts making these weird milkshakes for Rosemary to consume and even gives her the necklace she gave to the recently deceased Terry, which freaks Rosemary out. 

Throughout the rest of the film, Minnie constantly smothers and meddles in Rosemary's life, even if she doesn't appear much on screen. This begs the question: What was it really like for Terry to live with her, let alone put up with her. But beside the point, Ruth Gordon did an excellent job of humanizing the character instead of just making her an outright villain. Gordon was actually nominated for an Oscar for this performance and deservingly so. She has natural charisma and such an enchanting presence that makes her all the more captivating. 

The most unsettling aspect of the film is how the majority of the cult consists of nice, gentle elderly people who always know what's best and makes decisions for you before you can even make your own. Particularly when Minnie suggests Dr. Sapirstien.

Dr. Sapirstien represents the medical industry and how women were treated. There's just something about him that seems off. Cold, Clinical, and never by the book, Dr. Sapirstien is one shady character. 

Just when Rosemary starts to have complications from her pregnancy, Dr. Sapirstien just waves her off and never listens to her, which causes Rosemary to be in immense pain for quite some time. She feels that she needs a second opinion but Guy and the cult members keep saying how awesome Dr. Sapirstien is and how he's the most popular doctor in New York, again waving off Rosemary's pain, even if she looks like she withering away. 

Fed up with the constant gaslighting, Rosemary invites her much younger friends to have a bit of a bonding session. When Rosemary confides in them about her situation, the girls are full of her support. I like how the women take the time to actually listen to Rosemary and console her when she breaks down. It's one of the few heartwarming moments of the film and for once, Rosemary finally has friends she can trust. They suggest that Rosemary goes back to her original obstetrician, Dr. Hill. When Guy gets wind of this, he and Rosemary get into a heated argument. I really wanted to wring Guy's neck in this scene because all Rosemary wants to do is get a second opinion from another doctor. But when Rosemary finally stands up for herself, the pain suddenly stops. 

Although Rosemary is relieved from her pain, she still has her suspicions about The Castevets. She soon receives a mysterious book from her good friend Hutch, a novelist and historian who recently died. When she discovers that Roman is in fact the son of a notorious Satan worshiper Adrian Macarto and that the rest of the apartment residents, along with Guy, might be conspiring against her, Rosemary takes action and goes to Dr. Hill for help. 

This leads to one of the most frustrating and heartbreaking scenes in the film. So, Rosemary tells Dr. Hill everything, she even shows him the book Hutch gave to her. And for a second there, he actually believes her and takes what she says into consideration. There is hope after all....until Guy and Dr. Sapirstien show up in his office. Dr. Hill betrays her and it's devastating. However, I wouldn't think that Dr. Hill is one of the cult members, that's up to speculation, but he more or so sees Rosemary as just another hysterical woman because that's just how it was back then. However, it was frustrating that he would lead Rosemary on the way he did, which makes him just as despicable as Dr. Sapirstien. 

So Rosemary is trapped, not knowing which way to go. The scene in the taxi demonstrates Rosemary's fear and uncertainty while placed in the middle of her two oppressors.

 

Try as she might, Rosemary is unable to escape from her perpetrators, therefore, falling into their web of power.

This leads to the film's climax and it's one of the best, if not, terrifying moments on screen. There is no demon or big hairy monster, but just the sheer terror Rosemary displays when she sees her child for the first time. Mia Farrow's acting here is purely phenomenal. You can feel the agony and fear in her eyes. But it's also the build-up of the scene, the anticipation that sets it ablaze. It's in this scene where Mia shows her acting prowess, from shock and terror to sadness and contentment, it's hard to believe that this was her first leading role in a major motion picture. So when it comes to the ending, Rosemary does have power over these weak-minded people, and in her hearts of hearts, there is hope for baby Andrew. It's all registered in Mia Farrow's face.

Polanski originally envisioned Rosemary to be a robust, full-figured, girl-next-door type and there were many actresses considered before the casting of Farrow. These include:

Tuesday Weld

Jane Fonda

Goldie Hawn

Patty Duke (who ironically co-starred with Polanski's wife Sharon Tate in Valley of the Dolls)

And of course, Roman Polanski's own wife, Sharon Tate.

When Mia Farrow was eventually cast, she was the star of the prime-time soap opera Peyton Place, which co-starred Barbara Parkins who also starred in Valley of the Dolls, which also Roman Polanski's wife Sharon Tate, which was also directed by Mark Robson, who also directed the film version of Peyton Place. Man! The Peyton Place connections are wild! 

Although Farrow was booked and ready, her casting process wasn't exactly easy. She was married to Frank Sinatra at the time, who objected to the idea of Farrow being the lead of her first film. I guess this was a case of art imitating life on Mia Farrow's part. However, she stood her ground and proceeded with the film, and the rest is history.

This was a role of a lifetime and I'm surprised Farrow wasn't nominated for an Oscar. It's hard to picture any of the actresses mentioned to take on such a role and make it believable as Farrow did. Not only is she very captivating on screen, she displays all the attributes of her character. She's vulnerable, eager, humble, and most of all, human. Mia Farrow is what makes Rosemary so enaging and she carries the film on her shoulders.

It's just the way she emotes that gets it for me, and that comes to fruition in the final moments of the film. That is definitely her Oscar moment, not in terms of being a scream queen but a dramatic actress as well. Mia Farrow is, by far, the best thing about this film, and since then, she has become a legendary actress in her own right.

Now when it comes to the writing and the directing, there's nothing to be said because it's already been said. It's incredibly masterful! Now I know there's a saying that terrible people make great art, which is the case here. Roman Polanski captured the feel and tone of the book brilliantly, which focuses on the psychosis of Rosemary and her struggles of adjusting to the city and its inhabitants, being a supportive wife, and eventually an expectant mom, which goes beyond the supernatural circumstances.

Rosemary's Baby is a textbook example of a great horror film.

1. It relies on anticiaption, tension and suspense. Rosemary's Baby is one of the films that doesn't focus on practical effects or gore to make it scary. It's all about the paranoia, the sense of dread that trickles throughout the film.

2. It has a character you care about. I feel like the most scariest of horror films is when they have characters you feel scared for. And Rosemary is one of the those characters. This was at a time where women didn't have much agency and that's a very scary situation to be in. Rosemary feels trapped, with no way out and that's what makes the film suspensful. Not only is it horrifying but it's also heartbreaking. 

3. It has an engaging plot with perfect execution. What sets Rosemary's Baby apart from other films at the time is that it has a "real world" setting with characters who act like real people. Sure, a story about a woman who carries a demonic child might sound ludicrous on paper but the outcome is magnificent. It's a very visceral and visual film that focuses on anticipation as the plot thickens. And the beauty of it is that you never see what the baby looks like and with horror movies like these, your imagination is what makes it scary. 

Let me not forget the haunting film score by Krzysztof Komeda called Sleep Safe and Warm, which sets the tone of the film. It's a sweet, soft lullaby sung by a mother to her baby but it also brings a chill down your spine. It's creepy yet beautiful at the same time.

Since the release of Rosemary's Baby, unbeknownst to me, there has been a made-for-tv sequel, a novel sequel, a remake, and most recently a prequel. So let's get into it:

There's the 1976 made-for-tv sequel titled Look What's Happened to Rosemary's Baby which starred Patty Duke, who was once considered for the role of Rosemary in the original, but now plays her here. I haven't heard good things about it but I did see that Ruth Gordon reprises her role as Minnie Castevet. However, I'm not too keen on checking it out. The title alone gives off a cheesy low-budget vibe that doesn't sit right well with me. 

Then there was a sequel to the novel titled, Son of Rosemary, released in 1997. Its plot is very much similar to Look What's Happened to Rosemary's Baby but kind of different. It starts with Rosemary waking up in a coma in 1999 after an escape attempt with Andrew when he was seven years old. Apparently, the cult members put a spell on Rosemary, rendering her into a coma that lasted for two decades. A little far-fetched but whatever. So Andrew is now thirty-three years old and is the charismatic leader of an international charitable organization. Eventually, mother and son reunite while on the run from the cult members who want to bring forth the apocalypse during The Turn of the Millenium. I haven't heard good things about this book and from what I read, it's pretty nonscensical. But the most baffling thing about the novel is its ending. It turns out that it was all a DREAM and Rosemary finds herself back in 1965 where the original story started. Holy crap, Ira Levin really lost his touch with this one. Nope, I will not be reading this anytime soon.

In 2014, NBC produced a miniseries starring Zoe Saldana as the titular Rosemary. I've watched at least 30 minutes of this and, I have to be honest, I wasn't impressed. There's something about it that seemed stale, predictable, and quite boring. First of all, they changed the setting from New York to Paris. That's interesting enough I guess, but nothing about the setting impressed me as much as the setting in New York. This time Guy is an English professor and aspiring writer. Not as exciting as a working actor but okay. And from what we know about Rosemary, she is a former dancer. Then there's the execution of the plot, which is changed entirely. Okay, so here's how Rosemary meets The Castevets: A hoodlum steals Rosemary's purse and when she catches him, she just so happens to find Margaux's (who is the Minnie equivalent) I.D. in her purse. Coincidence? I think not. Anywho, Rosemary arrives in this big, fancy, smacy mansion and that's where we meet Margaux, who right off the bat, invites her to a party. From what I can tell, the script is kind of rushed. I feel like the inciting incident in the original film was more organic whereas, in this version, it felt too forced. So, Rosemary and Guy arrive at the party and we're introduced to Margaux (Minnie) and her husband, Roman. In this version, The Castevets are this sauve, sophisticated, middle-aged rich couple. Again, this just doesn't work for me. What I liked about the original was how unassuming The Castevets were. They came off like this sweet, gentle elderly couple and in no way you would suspect that they would be part of some Satanic cult. But in the 2014 version, it's WAY too obvious and, for me, they come off like James Bond villains more than anything. Speaking of the party, it's not like your usual get-together with small festivities like in the '68 version, oh no, it's an ELITE party. There might even be a freak-off during the afterparty, who knows. And Speaking of freak-offs, Rosemary sees a man (who might be the devil in human form) in the middle of a threesome. This catches Rosemary in a trance and she gets slightly aroused but Guy catches her just in time. I guess this is supposed to be a foreshadowing of what's to come but again, this. just. doesn't. work. for. me. After that, The Castevets use their charm over Rosemary and Guy, and...you know what happens. I just sort of stopped watching because I was so unimpressed. Come to find out, not only was this an adaptation of the first book but also Son of Rosemary? If the plot alone turned me off from reading the book, what makes you think that this might be a good adaptation? So yeah, I might check this out but not right now, I just wasn't invested enough, and again, it was very, very boring. 

Lastly, we have the prequel film, Apartment 7A, starring Dianne West as Minnie Castevet, Kevin McNally as Roman Castevet, and introducing lead actress Julie Garner in the role of the unlucky Terry Gionoffrio. I don't know about this one. Some part of me feel that it's a bit unnecessary to expand on the character of Terry Gionoffrio. The mystery surrounding her character is what made the original palpable and it's the imagination that hooks you in. Just what happened between her and The Castevets that made her want to commit suicide? But nowadays we're plagued with these prequel and remakes that wants to explain EVERYTHING about the original when it really doesn't need explaining. Maybe I'll check this one out but it's not gonna be anytime soon. 

Rosemary's Baby works best as a stand-alone story. I can see why Hollywood would want to expand on the Rosemary mythos because it's a classic story that still holds up today. It's one of those movies that was ahead of its time and wasn't afraid to just go there. It's terrifying, frustrating, haunting, beautiful, and bittersweet.

Rosemary's Baby will forever be held as the crowning jewel of classic horror.

My Last Word: Yes! Go watch it right now!