Masterfully Directed by Polanski

Rating: Null/10 (26 February 2010)

Rosemary's Baby (1968)
**** (out of 4)
Polanski's eerie and disturbing film about a couple (Mia Farrow, John Cassavetes) who move into a new apartment complex and think their lives are about to take off. Soon the wife finds herself pregnant but fears start to slip in that her eccentric neighbors might be trying to do her and the baby harm. She finds out that they could be part of a coven of witches and that they might just be needing the baby for evil deeds. I'm not one who thinks this is a flawless movie as I do have a couple issues with Polanski's screenplay but there's no question that the film contains a certain cold atmosphere and some great performances that make it worth viewing. I think the real key to the film's success is the direction by Polanski because he perfectly blends all the elements and really makes a complete film. I love how the movie starts off with this sweet and innocent nature as if you were watching the happiest film in the world. These calm moments are handled perfectly by the director and he also manages to direct the darker scenes just as masterfully. The dream sequences are brilliantly done and some of them are extremely disturbing to watch. Polanski also handles the smaller, personal drama well and one of the best scenes in the movie happens when Rosemary is in the phone booth trying to find someone to help her. The way Polanski directs this sequence is flawless and Farrow really hits it out of the park and delivers the paranoia that the movie needs. Farrow is simply magnificent in her role as she nails every emotion that she has to play. I really found her chilling in her paranoia that someone is possibly trying to kill her kid. Cassavetes is also excellent even though I think one of the screenplay's major faults is how his character falls in with this group out of no where and the fact that his character comes off as a creepy from scene one. Supporting players Ruth Gordon, Sidney Blackmer, Ralph Bellamy, Maurice Evans and Patsy Kelly are extremely good as well. The disturbing nature of a child being harmed is something that has been attempted in many movies both before and after this one but the creepiness that Polanski brings to the subject is something that hasn't been matched. I've never really cared for the decision of Rosemary at the end of the movie but Polanski's direction through this scene makes one understand what he was going for and what he was trying.