Impeccably crafted

Rating: 6/10 (1 September 2019)

Roman Polanski, as vile a human being as he is, is a master cinematic craftsman. In Rosemary's Baby he has taken the anxiety surrounding pregnancy and childbirth (especially when its one's first) and blown it up into a full blown horror epic.
Rosemary, played by a young Mia Farrow, is somewhat naive, but by not means stupid. Married to an aspiring actor, the two move into a new building, where they are immediately "befriended" by their new neighbors.
So here, I have a bit of a confession to make: I find most horror movies hilarious and grossly implausible.
Rosemary's new neighbors are over the top intrusive. They're constantly dropping by. I doubt a normal person would let this sort of situation continue very long, but for some reason, they go with it. In fact, the husband becomes rather more chummy with the neighbors than seems normal. (We find out why later in the film)
Second point of implausibility: Rosemary's obstetrician tells her not to listen to anyone or read any books about pregnancy. Maybe things were different in the 60s, but I'd think a doctor trying to discourage a patient from getting information would be a giant red flag for most people.
But, of course, most horror movies do require us to ignore some implausibilities.
In any case, Rosemary's pregnancy develops. She has pain, which her doctor assures her is normal (it isn't), and every attempt she makes to find out what's going on seems only to bring her back to her husband, her doctor, and her neighbors. She becomes increasingly isolated from her friends.
Eventually, she has her baby, but when she wakes up, the baby is gone. They tell her it was stillborn but she hears a baby crying in the neighbors' apartment. (Third point of implausibility: Why would they keep the baby in a place where Rosemary could so easily find it?)
Rosemary goes next door, and sees a group of people gathered, including her husband and her doctor, and a bassinet draped in black cloth with an inverted cross over it.
After some freaking out by Rosemary, the assembled crew begin shouting "Hail Satan!"
Again, maybe things were different in the 60s, but honestly, this had me doubled over with laughter. The expressions on the satanists' faces are hilarious, and the whole thing had the air of a huge practical joke.
(The denouement is that the husband had made a deal with the devil to get his acting career moving.)
I gave this move 6/10 only because the technical aspects of the film are brilliant, as is Farrow's performance, and because this has become a cultural touchstone in the horror genre.
The plot however is barely a notch about standard horror fare, and the whole "hail satan" thing was just... cheesy.
Also, I feel a little grubby for having watched a Roman Polanski film. We can't forget that he raped a young girl, however technically and artistically gifted he may be.