Product: Rosemary's Baby (El Bebe de Rosemary) [ NON-USA FORMAT, NTSC, Reg.4 Import - Latin America ] (1968)
Rating: 5.0
Yes, this is simplistic. All the more terrifying.
To say this movie is bad because it's simplistic totally misses the point. There's no one running around in a scary mask, a zombie, or an oversized reptile in the Amazon. This is about a simple couple with mutual interests, seemingly. Until husband (John Cassavettes) feels that making a deal with the Devil for a little fame isn't asking too much. He just doesn't let the wife in on the deal. From there, all the simplicity comes a rolling. Little hints expose themselves to the astute mind. But it isn't until the pieces of the puzzle start to form their true picture that the poor pregnant wife (Mia Farrow) can take any action. But who does she turn to? Totally in the dark she is left to figure out her situation not knowing who to turn to. Who can she trust, particularly from their hell hole of an apartment building that comes with a ghastly history, and seemingly good willed, albeit overly intrusive older neighbors. In this movie it's the simple uncertainly that makes the possibilities so terrifying. Everything about this movie is dark, a credit to the direction, the set design and the period it takes place in. You can almost smell the mustiness of the things you see, and that the main characters describe. The styles and fashions are extremely 60s, which in itself is creepy in its datedness. And when every avenue you turn to for help tests your trust, or puts others into danger, well, that's as horrifying as it gets. Cassevettes is his usual sly, caniving, duplicitous self. No one can evoke such a variance of emotions with a simple smile as he can. As the role of the devious husband, that works to perfection. One wishes he acted in more films (The Fury/ The Dirty Dozen) than directed. Who ever said terror had to be complicated. This movie is proof that the seemingly simplist of situations can be the most horrific. If you think a film needs to be contemporary, have special effects, CGI, gore or some unstoppable maniac are the basic ingrediants for true horror (all of which I love dearly in some of my favorite horror flicks), then you won't find this the frightening movie that it is. But if you have an eye for great writing and subtle details, a well chosen cast, implied situations, then this smart, clever film is for you. It's not the easiest of watches, in many ways, particularly for contemporary film lovers who will chuckle at certain styles. the least of which being the actors and their delivery. But that's not saying that they can't appreciate it. Some viewers, by current standards may find it, oh, too simplistic?