The Book was just as boring

Rating: Null/10 (6 February 2003)

First off I have to say that when I read the book about 6 years ago I was looking forward to seeing the movie to see if it would be any better. Well, I was wrong. I don't understand all of the praise this movie has received. I am not one of those into schlock horror where it has to be gory to be scary. I have seen many movies that are more suspenseful than this, such as the remake of House on Haunted Hill, Frighteners, The Exorcist, The Haunting, and I could keep going. I like suspense, I am a fan of the 1940's ghost and haunted house movies which hold more suspense than this movie.

Yes, I read the book so I knew everything that was going to happen, in fact the movie did not deviate from the book one iota. The screen writing had nothing to do with Roman Polanski, and everything to do with Ira levin's book. The movie was so slow that I was bored to tears. Yes, the cinematography was gorgeous, the apartment building was beautiful, and the elderly neighboor couple had an underlying sinister quality to the seeming "dotty" exterior. But, that does not make a movie.
Because the movie was trying to be "normal" the supposed suspense was not there. At no time in the movie, except for the dream sequences and the very end was there any suspension of disbelief. The Main character did not progress into the unreal till the climax and the climax was so fast in the resolution that there was no satisfaction. The slowness of the movie so put me off that I was cooking dinner at the same time and knew exactly what was going on without even looking up at the television. I also thought that the "rape" scene was a little creepy, but at no time did Mia Farrow look horrified. I have had a rape dream and even in the dream I was fighting and kicking and trying to get free, I can't believe that someone would be so out of their mind that there would be no fighting back, even if it is verbal protestations, which there were none. I don't understand the extreme praise of this movie, it is slow, boring and goes nowhere till the last 25-30 minutes.
I also did not like the movie for a more personal reason. I am a practicing Witch, and anybody who is a practicing Witch will tell you that Satan is a Christian Icon, not a witchcraft Icon. I felt like Mr. Levin and Mr. Polanski read the Malleus Malefictarum a little too much and believed that what is contained was how Witches really were. The pagan community has been trying to live down the stereotypes of Witches and Pagans that this movie and others has perpetuated. No witches and pagans do not worship Satan, nor pray to him, or acknowledge him in any way, shape or form. I know this is deviating a little from the main subject, but if the movie had been about say, blacks or hispanics, or any one of another race, or color, there would be uproar, especially in the late 60's, but no, let's write a book, and make a movie about Satan worshipping Witches, because you know, they don't matter. Well you know what folks, we do matter, and we are starting more and more to stand-up for ourselves, and the Christian right-wing be damned. (Sorry for the little tirade there, but it just burns my A** everytime).