Classic Polanski still manages to chill after nearly four decades...

Rating: 8/10 (8 July 2006)

...and despite a few chips around the edges, remains a notably strong piece of thriller film-making, certainly one of Polanski's best works. I'm not sure I can fairly rank it as a Top-100 film, except within the horror/thriller genre, or even a Top-250 film, as the IMDb voters rate it, but there's no denying that it's one of the most memorable films of the late sixties. The dexterity with which Polanski slowly ratchets up the tension and paranoid unease, the remarkable performances (especially from Mia Farrow as Rosemary, and Ruth Gordon as Rosemary's nemesis, Mrs. Castavet), the unique setting of the Dakota, William Fraker's fine DP work, Krzysztof Komeda's unsettling score; all contribute to an amazing movie-going experience that culminates in the final, shockingly maternal twist ending.
Now, all that to the side, I'm going to venture into dirtied waters here and say that I'd love to see an updated version of "Rosemary's Baby" along the lines of "The Omen" remake. Audiences are more sophisticated these days, as are acting and storytelling techniques, and from this viewer's perspective, "Rosemary's Baby" telegraphs its eventual payoff in more ways than one. Victoria Vetri's Terry, the Castavet's original guinea pig, is introduced and killed off so quickly that the event stands out like a sore thumb. John Cassavettes' performance is, by modern standards, notably unsubtle; he is identifiably a "bad guy" almost from the moment he meets the Castavets, if not sooner. His behavior is decidedly sexist and domineering; no modern female worthy of the name would put up with his selfishness and deceptions. I'd love to see someone like Christian Bale or Ed Norton take on the role. Ruth Gordon's intrusive Minnie at times seems utterly transparent in her kvetching insistence on pumping Rosemary full of Satanic potions. Certainly no woman who'd ever read "Our Bodies, Our Selves" would give a quack like Dr. Sapperstein more than one visit. And even Rosemary seems anachronistically naive and sheltered from the grim realities of life, though perhaps I've overlooked some back story that explains that. Regardless, I'd love to see one of our recent crop of fine young actresses tackle the role: Reese Witherspoon, Natalie Portman, Hillary Swank, etc., or even an unknown with the requisite talent.
It's been nearly four decades, and despite all the supernatural spin-offs like "The Exorcist" and "The Omen" and "The Seventh Sign" and so on and so forth, "Rosemary's Baby" retains its vaunted position in the pantheon of top-rank chillers. I'd love to see a new version attempt to dethrone it.