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Rosemary's Baby
(1968, Roman Polanski)
(1968, Roman Polanski)
Despite that fact that Chinatown has been one of my favourite films of all time from the moment I first watched it, it had previously been the only Roman Polanski film that I had seen. Although his noir detective mystery is widely regarded as his best film, Rosemary’s Baby (along with The Pianist) is also held in very high regard, and as a person who prefers a well constructed and intelligent psychological thriller over a modern slasher horror, I was extremely interested in watching Rosemary’s Baby.
The reason that Rosemary’s Baby works is because of Roman Polanksi’s approach to the genre. For the first half the film not much happens at all, when compared to what many expect from a horror. In fact almost the entire film takes place in one place, an apartment. There are very few scenes of violence either, for the majority of the film we are simply listening to the characters speak, this film is obsessed with details and this mean each character is extensively developed, we know everything about their lives, their feelings, and most importantly: their suspicions.
The characters, whose lives feel like part of ours, are aiding by fantastic performances all round. Mia Farrow is the star as Rosemary Woodhouse, a young woman who becomes pregnant but then grows increasingly paranoid over her and her baby’s safety following mysterious events and occurrences from those around her. Although I believe Mia Farrow gives the strongest performance, it was the performance of Ruth Gordon that saw the film gain Academy Award recognition, winning Best Actress in a Supporting Role, she is superb as an old woman who immediately befriends Rosemary after she moves into to her new apartment, although funny and friendly there is an awkward and dark feeling about her character from the moment we meet her.
Along with Ruth Gordon’s character there are a number of other subtle details that we are shown even at the beginning of the film that help build up an uneasy and disturbing atmosphere such as a suicide and even a wardrobe strangely positioned inside the new apartment. As the film progresses these small fears grow into even greater ones, with the potential threat of real danger becoming increasingly real, Rosemary is the character who feels these fears and even though she is alone and isolated in her concerns we feel a genuine connection to her as suspense is intelligently built up.
Although this film has supernatural elements, the fact that we do not see any type of real danger works in the films favour as through details we paint a dark and horrific image ourselves. The films ending is fitting and superb, although I will avoiding giving anything away about it in the review, the less you know then the better the film will be as you watch from start to finish and enjoy the suspense and horror built over two hours.
As a horror film, Rosemary’s Baby was received extremely successfully and as previously mentioned even managed to win an Academy Award. The film is said t have inspired and laid the foundations for many horrors and supernatural thrillers to follow but unfortunately none (at least that I have seen) have matched Polanksi’s level of horror created through a mature and organised structure, instead choosing to attempt to shock viewers with violent/scary images rather than allowing the element of fear build an image of such for the viewer.
The reason that Rosemary’s Baby works is because of Roman Polanksi’s approach to the genre. For the first half the film not much happens at all, when compared to what many expect from a horror. In fact almost the entire film takes place in one place, an apartment. There are very few scenes of violence either, for the majority of the film we are simply listening to the characters speak, this film is obsessed with details and this mean each character is extensively developed, we know everything about their lives, their feelings, and most importantly: their suspicions.
The characters, whose lives feel like part of ours, are aiding by fantastic performances all round. Mia Farrow is the star as Rosemary Woodhouse, a young woman who becomes pregnant but then grows increasingly paranoid over her and her baby’s safety following mysterious events and occurrences from those around her. Although I believe Mia Farrow gives the strongest performance, it was the performance of Ruth Gordon that saw the film gain Academy Award recognition, winning Best Actress in a Supporting Role, she is superb as an old woman who immediately befriends Rosemary after she moves into to her new apartment, although funny and friendly there is an awkward and dark feeling about her character from the moment we meet her.
Along with Ruth Gordon’s character there are a number of other subtle details that we are shown even at the beginning of the film that help build up an uneasy and disturbing atmosphere such as a suicide and even a wardrobe strangely positioned inside the new apartment. As the film progresses these small fears grow into even greater ones, with the potential threat of real danger becoming increasingly real, Rosemary is the character who feels these fears and even though she is alone and isolated in her concerns we feel a genuine connection to her as suspense is intelligently built up.
Although this film has supernatural elements, the fact that we do not see any type of real danger works in the films favour as through details we paint a dark and horrific image ourselves. The films ending is fitting and superb, although I will avoiding giving anything away about it in the review, the less you know then the better the film will be as you watch from start to finish and enjoy the suspense and horror built over two hours.
As a horror film, Rosemary’s Baby was received extremely successfully and as previously mentioned even managed to win an Academy Award. The film is said t have inspired and laid the foundations for many horrors and supernatural thrillers to follow but unfortunately none (at least that I have seen) have matched Polanksi’s level of horror created through a mature and organised structure, instead choosing to attempt to shock viewers with violent/scary images rather than allowing the element of fear build an image of such for the viewer.
RATING: