Rosemary's Baby

Rating:
Summary: Close, but no banana....
Review: "Rosemary's Baby", that seminal 1968 horror which one could really say pioneered the grand American tradition of contemporary horror movies, is still an enjoyable and worthwhile sort of film, but in places really has aged to the point where some of the elements are now, sadly, irrelevant.

Rosemary (Mia Farrow) and actor husband Guy (John Cassavetes) move to a new apartment full of rumour and dark history. Befriended by their quirky, slightly off-key neighbours Minnie and Roman Castavet (Ruth Gordon and Sidney Blackmer), Rosemary discovers she's pregnant, and Guy's career takes off. Enter the sinister Dr. Sapirstien, and her world takes a decided turn for the worse, as she endures a pregnancy full of hellish surprises and frightening betrayals.

Polanski's talent outshines even the more solid performances here, the man's genius behind a camera is hugely apparent in the panoramic New York vistas and the contrasting confines of Rosemary's apartment. The particularly memorable sequence at the beginning of the movie where Terry Gionoffrio has committed suicide and we meet the Castavets for the first time is a jewel, unsettling and affecting, and exactly as it should be. The closing scenes also bear this particularly powerful directorial motif, and stay with us long after we've watched the movie.

Performance-wise it's like everyone is here to provide a backdrop for Farrow and Gordon. As Rosemary and Minnie (respectively) these actresses shine, putting life into a lifeless script and forcing empathy from the viewer where less-able actresses would have only inspired feelings of annoyance. Rosemary's so pathetic and pliable, but we don't see her as such - rather she inspires our concern, and we're rooting for her - as a heroine ought to be. Gordon, with her garish, frankly comical costumes and borderline slapstick dialogue could be similarly forgettable, but thanks to the unforgettable actress in charge of the role, she's a sinister and awesome sort of foe.

And that's kind of the problem. The direction and superlative performances from the leading ladies are so truly universal, that when placed in the redundant situations of the original novel (and bear in mind we're talking about the sexual and social politics of almost 40 years ago), they become almost disjointed - like finding a diamond in a sack of coal. Not that there's anything wrong with the quality of the rest of the movie, understand, it's just rather dated now.

This movie, were it made even ten years later, would rival 'The Exorcist' and 'The Shining' as one of America's all-time top five contributions to the horror genre. As it stands, it's a very diverting (and in places, hugely effective) piece of work, and sadly, because of the redundancy of some of the ideals and a slightly ill-suited ending, has little to recommend it as a 'classic'.

One to rent.

Rating:
Summary: It Really Is Brilliant!
Review: Rosemary and Guy are a happy young couple. They move into a beautiful apartment in Manhatten. Their friend, Hutch, tells them the building has a chequered history with all kinds of stories having circulated about witchcraft, black Sabbaths and cannibalism but that just adds colour and makes it all seem still jollier. And the next door neighbours, Roman and Minnie Castevet, seem so kind....

There are a bunch of horror movies that draw on the Book of Revelation and take the Antichrist as their theme. This is the best by miles. It's a lovely, intriguing mystery drama, helped along by brilliant casting: of the wide-eyed fragile Mia Farrow as Rosemary who slowly comes to realize that all is far right with her pregnancy and the treatment she is getting, John Cassavetes as the superficially pleasant but very selfish Guy; and Sidney Blackmer and Ruth Gordon as the sweet and lovely - the Hell they are - Castevets. What gets delivered by this lot is a beautifully realized mystery that develops towards the end into something genuinely and very effectively nightmarish. Definitely not one to miss.


Rating:
Summary: great filmmaking
Review: These days, most scary movies have lots of "surprise" scenes in which ghouls or killers suddenly appear with some sort of weapon as shrieking music and the victim's shrieks collide on our ears. Blood. Corpses. Mutilation. Wide-eyed girls soundlessly screaming as the killer closes in.
See Rosemary's Baby for something completely different. The way this movie was directed and filmed is masterful. The scenes look "normal" as another reviewer put it, but there is something slightly off about them. There is something wrong but the viewer can't put his/her finger on what it is. The Castevets are quite friendly, but don't they seem a little too friendly and eager? Maybe they're just lonely and outgoing. You just don't know. Isn't the doctor a little too paternal and avuncular, or is he just a really good and wise doctor? You don't know. Nothing is spelled out for the viewer.
There is a sense of unease, a chilling sense that things are not quite right, but you can't figure out what. The people around Rosemary all seem warm and genuine but at the same time seem false and threatening. This is the magic of the film. Polanski sets up scene after scene where this slowly mounting unease disturbs and unsettles the viewer. This type of movie is infinitely harder to make than a slasher film where a madman bursts out of a hedge wielding a screaming chainsaw.
Rosemary's Baby is a classic, largely due to amazing direction and screenplay. No, you may not jump and scream like you do in a modern slasher flick, but I'll bet for days after you see it you'll still be thinking about it, creeped out, and sleeping with a light on. Great movie for an intelligent person who appreciates great directing and storytelling.







Rating:
Summary: Chillingly Fabulous!
Review: I was scared to rent this movie at first because I heard about how scary it was. I did however, rent it and LOVE IT! It's so clever! And SO NORMAL! which makes it twice as scary! I immediately went out and bought it! It's also very faithful to the book (which I just finished reading yeasterday lol) Give it a try, you won't be disapointed!

Rating:
Summary: ROMAN AND MIA`S BEST
Review: With all-star-performances from Mia, Ruth Gordon, Sidney Blackmer and John Cassavetes, Polish-director Roman Polanski offers his BEST film.... The seduction-scenes with the Devil - and Rosemary`s nightmares were based on LSD-trips and discussions between Roman and his wife, Sharon Tate. Sharon can be seen briefly in the "making of" and supposedly as an extra when Rosemary is having a party. The film is still disturbing and watchable. Rosemary`s humming is indeed by Mia Farrow.

Rating:
Summary: "What have you done to his eyes?"
Review: The cast of Rosemary's Baby really help bring the wonderful characters of the novel to life. Mia Farrow is perfectly cast as Rosemary, as is John Cassevetes as her husband Guy. I could not imagine anyone other than Ruth Gordon playing Minnie Castevet, the annoying neighbor with a dark secret. Sidney Blackmer as her husband is truly memorable. The supporting cast is equally terrific and the story is suspenseful and chilling, brilliantly written for the screen by Roman Polanski. I have not seen a more faithful adaptation of a novel yet, and it works wonderfully, conveying Rosemary's turmoil and madness effectively. Mia Farrow plays her to perfection, vulnerable yet brave. The ending is truly memorable and creepy. I just wish the tone of the film was darker, but perhaps the subject matter was controversial enough in 1968. Perhaps a darker remake is in order? That would be great!

Rating:
Summary: A Great Movie
Review: I remember I was 11 years old and Mom and I were spending the summer vacation in Canada with my aunt and uncle. They were playing a riviting game of dominos one night, and I said it was getting boring. So Mom told me to go down to the basement and watch the T.v. I was just heading down the stairs when she called behind me,
"But don't watch Rosemary's Baby, because that's scary!"
I, being 11, went and watched it. I mean let's face it what kid wouldn't watch it if their mother said not to?
Rosemary's Baby was and still is a great and scary movie. When most people hear the words 'scary movie' they probably think of a psycho killer cutting up teenagers. But is that really what make a film scary? No. I think what's scary is a movie that can get under your skin, send chills up your spine and really makes you think.
And that coming from me is really something, because I am the sort of person who stays up really late watching the low budget gore movies and the teen slashers. I love gore, but it doesn't make a movie scary, because disgusting and scary are not the same thing. The terrifying subtleties laced throughout Rosemary's Baby are very affective. It's a psychilogical journey of one woman as she learns that everyone she though she knew is plotting against her... The direction has that ability to pull the audience into Rosemary's world, and make them experience her terror. With less talented actors that wouldn't have worked.
I still remember it even years after I saw it, because I haven't seen it sence. And I remember being scared. Although I think because this movie has adult themes that it will be more affective on a grown-up audience.
I'm going to get this, and if you're thinking about it I cannot recomend it enough. Because anyone who really likes horror movies should be able to reconise this as a classic that can still frighten us even in this modern society. Five stars.