Rosemarys Baby (1968) - Lisa's Review

This is a movie I was convinced I had seen several times.  In actual fact I sat down last night to review it whilst I was watching it as I just wanted a bit of a reminder.  Believe it or not, I managed to get it confused with 'The Hand That Rocks The Cradle'.  *Facepalm*

So, what did I think?  I'll get that out of the way early on.  I absolutely loved this movie.  I feel that even though aspects of the movie have dated (hair, make-up and fashion), for the most part, I feel it has just as much of an impact today as it did back in 1968.  It doesn't rely on special effects or make-up to instill terror in the audience, but instead specialises in psychological horror as you empathise with the main character.

Rosemary in the story is played by the very beautiful Mia Farrow.  Her delicate innocence and feminine fragility made her perfect for this role.  She is a woman men could easily fall for and women would love as their friend.  As Rosemary she is instantly likable and relatable.  Her husband, Guy is played by John Cassavetes.  I didn't like the character of Guy at all, even from the start.  It makes me wonder if Cassavetes deliberately played the role as someone the viewer would feel suspicious of immediately or if he just doesn't play 'nice' very well.  So, to a premise I suppose...

Rosemary and Guy are a happy couple moving into a new apartment building.  It had once belonged to an elderly lady who had seemingly become senile.  The couples friend Hutch tries to convince them not to move in due to a questionable history hanging over the building, but they like it so much, they disregard their friends advice and move in (they'll go on to regret that decision).

Straight away Rosemary gets talking to a young women called Terry.  They hit it off right away and since both women get a little creeped out by the basement that the laundry room occupies, they decide to always do their laundry together.  Rosemary compliments a necklace worn by Terry and finds out it had been given to her by an elderly couple in the building, Minnie & Roman Castevets.  They had taken her in when she had no place to go.  The necklace Tanas Root inside, which was meant to be good luck but was more than a tad whiffy!

Shortly after their meeting, Rosemary & Guy are walking home one evening when they discover Terry has seemingly thrown herself from a window in the building.  She is clearly dead and is still wearing the necklace Rosemary commented on days prior.  Not many people at the scene know any detail about Terry, but soon Minnie and Roman arrive to find their friend has died.

Following Terrys death, the old couple seem to take Rosemary & Guy under their wing, but their constant interruptions and nosiness starts to grate on the couple, especially Rosemary.  Minnie gives the necklace that Terry had been wearing to Rosemary,  making no mention of it having belonged to someone else.  From this point on Minnie and Roman always seem to be popping in and interrupting the couple, with interfering Minnie even inviting one of her busy-body friends into their apartment.  When Rosemary gets pregnant, they insist she attends their renowned doctor and follow his instructions during the pregnancy.  She is told not to read books nor speak to any other woman about her pregnancy, as every pregnancy is different.

Rosemary keeps being dominated throughout the movie and keeps going along with the Castevets wishes to keep the peace.  Guy seems to have gotten ever distant and is wrapped up in his career having been cast in a new part.  He has also grown much closer to Minnie and Roman, almost seeing them as parent figures.

The movie follows the progression of Rosemarys pregnancy.  We watch as she comes to realisations about what has been happening.  It gets to the point where she wonders if there is anyone she can trust.  There is obviously a horror element running throughout the story.  A truth about Rosemarys pregnancy and child and something she needs to learn for herself.

I was thoroughly impressed with all aspects of this movie.  I loved being able to get to know the characters, so I either cared for them or spouted vitriol.  It's something we often don't get a chance to do in modern movies.  This is a longer one at over 2 hours, but I honestly enjoyed every minute of it.  Even though the horror is all implied and not shown, it is still incredibly effective.  I found myself empathising strongly with Rosemary right from the start.  I was definitely along for the ride, feeling what she was.

I loved how the movie ended.  They could have overdone it so easily, but they didn't.  It is without hesitation that I give a big thumbs up and recommend Rosemarys Baby.