Review
Rosemary's Baby
- Director
- Roman Polanski
- Year
- 1968
- Rating
- Reviewed by
- José Ruiloba a.k.a. Morris
- Review date
- Monday, June 18, 2001
Rosemary (Mia Farrow) and Guy (John Cassavetes) are a happily-married couple who have just moved to an old apartment where they settle down. They soon befriend their closest neighbors (Sidney Blackmer and Ruth Gordon). Everything seems to be perfectly normal until Rosemary gets pregnant and starts suspecting there’s something weird with her and her surroundings. Is Rosemary just nervous, or is there really a diabolical plan going on without her knowledge?
That’s exactly the question that sets this movie in motion. Why are strange things happening? Can she trust anyone? Is her baby safe? The movie’s shocking power comes from the fact that everyone in the movie looks as common as your own neighbors. But wait, maybe they are common people. Is that strange dream she had any real? Was it just a dream?
Well, we don’t know either. The way the movie is written shows us everything form the point of view of Rosemary. It actually sends chills down our spine, as we come to understand her paranoia and fear for her safety as the movie evolves. Rosemary’s Baby is the masterpiece it is because of the way suspense is used. The movie is a psychological journey through the head of Rosemary, and it is done to perfection. The way she slowly goes from sanity to apparent madness is quite disturbing. And the movie doesn’t only play with its premise, but also with our own minds. Things are not always what they seem.
I won’t say anything about the ending except that it is brilliant. As a matter of fact, the last 20 minutes or so are almost unbearable to watch. The tension rises to a degree difficult to describe. And that last moments.... I have no words. Pure genius.
When I saw the movie I was a victim of too much information for my taste. I had read the comments on the DVD box and realized that they said more than I wanted to know. Then, after I saw the movie, I went on to read quite a few reviews and I noticed how in each and everyone of them the plot was described giving away some final revelations. I don’t get it. I would recommend if you haven’t seen it, to wait until after you see it to read about it. Live the experience without knowing anything at all!
About the performances I don’t have anything but kind words. Mia Farrow is perfect as Rosemary. She is so fragile but strong at the same time. Mia captures that spirit perfectly. The way Rosemary changes throughout the movie ‘till the last scenes is impressively well-performed by an actress who saw this as the role she’ll always be remembered for. John Cassavetes is equally good as his loving but mysterious husband. But it is Ruth Gordon who almost steals the film as their seemingly normal but too nosy next-door neighbor. She’s fabulous.
Roman Polanski did a masterful job with this movie. If there is any genius behind it all it’s him. Even Hitchcock must have been proud. He handles the tension and character development with a master’s touch.
Aided by a superb production design and impressive photography, Rosemary’s Baby’s a classic. No more, no less.
“This is not a dream! This is really happening!”
CriticSociety en Twitter | CriticSociety en Facebook
Share on Facebook | Share on Twitter
Comments
Morris wrote at 6/22/2002:
I'll have to comment on Jacinda's remarks by giving away SPOILERS!!! DON'T KEEP READING IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE MOVIE!!!!I'M SERIOUS!
Ok, here we go.... Still reading..... Go away! I do think like you Jacinda, in the way everything Rosemary said and thought was real. It could be debated, but I think the ending is pretty clear. Ok, we don't see anything (which is great), but we do see the people standing at that room and what they say. She isn't imegining all that stuff, and it proves right to her theory. Anyway, one of the coolest endings of all-time!
Coffee wrote at 6/22/2002:
Perhaps my favorite movie by Roman Polanski (although I hardly dare to watch it) is "The Tenant" (1976, better known under the french title - "Le Locataire"). That movie gives me nightmares and actually I can't remember any other film that does.Check it out if you haven't seen it yet. Oh and DON'T ask me to write a review about it - that would mean that I'd have to watch it again (shudder).
Jacinda wrote at 6/22/2002:
Polan Romanski was the name of our house-keeper at school and I'm not making that up. He must have had weird parents ;)I don't think he was related to Roman though.
I am glad Morris agrees with me on the ending. I always thought it cleared up things. There are people that claim it could still be paranoia and I could never agree with them.
I have never seen Coffee more scared. As soon as I mention the tenant he starts yelling NOO NOO PLEASE STOP =) it was really traumatic for him but to be honest I could barely take that movie myself. Didn't scare me as much as Bob in Twin Peaks though. *shudder*
Coffee wrote at 6/22/2002:
After so many years she still hides behind the sofa each time we watch Twin Peaks. To me Bob isn't quite as scary any more... considering the fact that I've seen Twin Peaks about half a dozen times that is hardly surprising. Still I understand my dear Jacinda - we all have our weak spots.. Groucho wrote at 6/22/2002:
You shouldn't be reading this is you haven't seen the movie so I guess it's not really necessary to warn you about the spoilers I'll talk about in this comment!I loved 'Rosemary's Baby'. I loved the way it was so smooth yet full of tension all the time. Rosemary is quite a submissive woman and Guy the greatest son of a bitch on Earth, but it's still quite believable. The neighbors are so nosy that I wanted to kill them, especially Minnie!! (what a great performance, by the way!).
The rape scene is magnifiscent. It reminded me of those times when you're really sick and high on fever and you have nightmares mixed with hallucinations and stuff of the sort. You think things are really happening ("This is not a dream! This is really happening!") but then you realize it was a nightmare. That sort of situation.
The finale, as you have stated, is wonderful. I couldn't believe my eyes. After hourse of tension, my body finally let go, surrendering to the terrible situation. I felt faint, just like Rosemary. How can you deal with such a situation??
By the way, I'm a believer that the final scene is not in Rosemary's head only. One never knows, of course. Kind of reminded me of some of Luis Buñuel's films, where you can't really know which scenes are real and which are imaginary. But I like to beleive that everything we saw is real. It makes sense, after all! Poor girl... no human being would believe her! Calling 911 was not a solution, like it would be in most movies. What to say, what to do??
Roman Polanski deserves a big applause. His direction is so precise, it's unbelievable. This could be his finest film!
Overall, a wonderful experience! Wow.
New comments are temporarily disabled
Jacinda wrote at 6/22/2002:
Great review for one of my all-time favorites. I don't know why critics always have to give away huge spoilers. That's why I don't read reviews before seeing a movie. In the case of Rosemary's Baby I think everyone already knows what the plot is about which is too bad. But it's even worse with Psycho. Hardly anyone doesn't know about the outcome of the movie.My personal impression on Rosemary's Baby has always been that Rosemary's experiences are for real. Up to a certain point you can still believe she is just paranoid but I always felt everything she said was true. I had long discussions with people who say that there is still the possibility of her being insane at the end of the movie. I always believed her which made the whole movie a more frightening experience for me. What do you think?