296: Rosemary's Baby

Strangely, for a Horror film, Rosemary's Baby offers very few shocks, there are no jump- from-your-seat style moments, instead Rosemary's Baby simply unsettles you to a point where you may rather just get up your seat and stop watching. Based on the novel by Ira Levin, Rosemary's Baby concerns the story of a couple who move to a new apartment with a chequered past. It follows Rosemary's (Mia Farrow) descent into hysteria and paranoia as her pregnancy continues and the actions of her husband and her neighbours are increasingly suspicious.

As the film follows Rosemary and her husband, Guy, from moving day through her pregnancy the pressure in Rosemary's Baby mounts as Rosemary creeps closer to her due date, every character, no matter how old, friendly or supportive becomes suspicious. The horror in Rosemary's Baby comes from this potent concoction of suspicion and paranoia on the part of the viewer, just as Rosemary begins to see everything as suspicious so does the viewer. The idea that nobody is trustworthy, especially those closest to you, emotionally or geographically, is one that will haunt you long after the credits have rolled. It may take some time before you go next door for one of those “parties” they like to hold.

Mia Farrows' portrayal of a young woman in a desperate situation is harrowing and the images of her as sleep deprived and gaunt in the first few months of her pregnancy are shocking. Rosemary's transformation is signalled by a beautiful, fashionable Vidal Sassoon haircut that is universally condemned by the entire supporting cast. It is the supporting cast that really shine in Rosemary's Baby, whether it's John Cassavetes' Guy, Rosemary's uncaring, ignorant husband or Ruth Gordon and Sidney Blackmer as the worlds’ most terrifying neighbours, it is these smaller roles that make Rosemary's Baby terrifying and memorable.

As the entire film appears to build up to one big reveal, the Baby of the title, it becomes even more disturbing when the Baby is never actually shown on camera. Polanski shows the audience the Devil in one of the earliest scenes but the child is apparently too horrific to be filmed. This a perfect example of how effective the film is at unsettling it's viewers, everything is left to the imagination, nothing is certain. We're never sure if everything Rosemary thinks is true or whether she is being hysterical and irrational. The audience is aware that something is wrong but they are never sure what it is, some actions are seen as suspicious but may be entirely innocent and on the other hand innocent actions can become violent making every character sinister in their own way.

Due to the film's reputation, a new viewer approaching Rosemary's Baby may see everything as suspicious, possibly more so than when it was initially released, this puts a greater emphasis on the viewer's interpretation of the actions seen. The combination of suggestion and an ever increasing forboding feeling make the effect of Rosemary's Baby's a lasting one.