Flawless

Rating: 10/10 (22 March 2004)

This is indeed a rare film, a sublime masterpiece, Roman Polanski's crowning achievement. Based upon the likewise-flawless novel by Ira Levin and virtually unaltered by Polanski, Rosemary's Baby is a work of art, a classic which stands alone to this day, never to be surpassed.
Everyone knows the story by now; Mia Farrow is the sweet and innocent Rosemary Woodhouse who, along with her actor/husband Guy, finds the perfect apartment in New York. Despite a disreputable history, it seems the catalyst of good fortune for the happily married young couple. Their friendly, if somewhat brassy, neighbors are played to absolute perfection by Ruth Gordon (who received an Oscar for her efforts) and Sidney Blackmer. Despite some foreboding nightmares and the unfortunate accidental (?) death of a young woman, life is good for Rosemary and her husband, whose acting career seems to finally be taking off. But there's always a price to pay for good fortune. Unbeknownst to poor Rosemary, her husband has literally made a deal with the Devil. Shortly after a romantic dinner, some chalky chocolate mousse and the mother of all nightmares in which Rosemary is raped by a beast whilst her neighbors and husband look on, Rosemary discovers she is pregnant. But the pregnancy is a difficult one, her neighbors are not what they seem and the inevitable closes in around her over the course of nine long months time. Rosemary comes to believe that she and the baby are in danger, that her baby is a potential sacrificial victim for a coven of witches. The truth, however, is much, much worse.
I've always thought of Rosemary's Baby as the blackest of black comedies, and of Rosemary as the butt of a very long and drawn-out practical joke. Fans of modern day horror films, used to gory death scenes and disposable heroes, will probably not appreciate the pace at which this film moves or its wry sense of humor. This is indeed a shame, because this film is everything that a good horror film should be; intelligent, subtle and almost rather dismissive of its own brilliance. The films climax is practically shrugged off by the characters who have brought it about. And Rosemary finally realizes that perhaps the only way to beat them is to join them; there is no fiercer predator than a mother defending her child, and as she accepts her role as the Mary of the Profane, we must wonder; will she triumph after all?
I've hesitated to review this film for a long time, simply because I couldn't think of anything to say about it that hasn't already been said. It's a masterpiece, a work of art, an inspiration for many films to come, some good and some not so good. It continues to loom large over the genre, virtually untouchable and yet always accessible. No fan of film - horror or otherwise - should miss this. It truly deserves every word of praise it has ever earned.