Hated it the first time, loved it the second time

Rating: 8/10 (16 June 2008)

Married couple Rosemary and Guy Woodhouse (Mia Farrow, John Cassavetes) move into the beautiful Bramford apartment building (the Dakota was used). They meet nice but pushy neighbors (Ruth Gordon and Sidney Blackmer). Then Rosemary gets pregnant...and her life becomes a nightmare. She thinks the neighbors are witches and want her baby. Is that true or is it her imagination?
Now classic horror film. I first caught this at a revival theatre when I was in college. I thought it was too long and dull with terrible acting. I should mention I had just read the book this was based on. Seeing it again (over 20 years later) my opinion has totally changed. I still think it's too long and Farrow's acting wavers (sometimes she just great, other times she's too mannered) but this time I was fascinated and the ending actually scared me silly! The setting is beautiful--the Dakota is a huge building in NY with very exclusive tenants...but it looks downright terrifying here (I have to credit director Roman Polanski for that). Inside the apartments are huge but spooky. When Rosemary and Guy hear chanting through the walls on their first night or so there it's actually pretty chilling. The scene where Rosemary gets pregnant is pretty hard to watch too. Acting, as I mentioned, wavers. Farrow is really off sometimes and Cassavetes looks miserable (I believe he later said he did it for the money) but Gordon (in her Oscar-winning role) and Blackmer are just great. Also Maurice Evans, Charles Grodin, Elisha Cook and Ralph Bellamey are strong in supporting roles. And listen for the voice of Tony Curtis in one sequence. There's also some funny black humor here--at one point Rosemary is in a doctors office. She picks up a "Time" magazine and the cover says, "Is God Dead"? Scary, well-made horror film. Decidedly NOT for pregnant women. I give it an 8.
"What have you done to him you maniacs?"