Product: Rosemary's Baby (El Bebe de Rosemary) [ NON-USA FORMAT, NTSC, Reg.4 Import - Latin America ] (1968)
Rating: 4.0
Polanski & Farrow Deliver
Rosemary's Baby is a horror film, but in the traditional sense. It's not going to make you jump out of your seat or make you scream. In fact, you pretty much can guess the outcome of the film early on. What makes the film so scary is the plot almost seems plausible and the four lead actors convince of you that by playing their parts so well. Director Roman Polanski has created more of psychological thriller and he tortures you by making you wait throughout the whole film as Rosemary slowly pieces together the insidious plot against her. Mia Farrow is beguiling as Rosemary. She desperately wants to start a family, but her actor husband, Guy (John Cassavetes) is wrapped up in his career. When they move into a new apartment, they met their elderly next door neighbors, The Castevets. At first they seem to be typical folks, Minnie (Ruth Gordon) is the classic nosy, pushy neighbor who invites herself into Rosemary's apartment and is constantly chattering on and on and Roman (Sidney Blackmer) is the wizened old-timer full of stories. But they are actually witches, with whom Guy makes a deal that Satan will impregnate Rosemary in return for fame and fortune as an actor. The scene of Rosemary's rape is chilling and creepy as she fades in and out of hallucinations and she doesn't know what's real or a dream. The final scene where Rosemary breaks into the Castevets apartment and sees her baby is extremely effective as we hear a description of what the baby looks like, but we never see it. Mr. Polanski leaves it to our imagination to wonder how Satan's child would appear. The theme music is one of the most chilling of all-time, with a simple la-la-la phrase repeated over and over in girlish, sing-song voice. Ms. Gordon won the 1968 Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role as Minnie and Mr. Polanski's first Hollywood film showed his immense directing talents.