Rosemary’s Baby-review

This 1968 psychological horror movie is proof that sometimesthe scary things in film are the things we don’t see.  Like “The Exorcist,” this movie has demonicthemes that are hidden amongst a pregnant woman’s paranoia.  It comes together with the acting, thelocation, and the story in a wonderful way.

Rosemary and Guy Woodhouse, played by Mia Farrow and JohnCassavetes, move to a new apartment house. They befriend their neighbors, which include Minnie and Roman Castevet,played by Ruth Gordon and Sidney Blackmer. After a very disturbing dream where Rosemary is being raped by a demon while naked people watch, she discovers she is pregnant.  However events lead her to believe there is a conspiracy against her.  Is it all in her mind or is something evil afoot?

The acting is fantastic. Mia Farrow plays the vulnerable Rosemary with amazing skill.  Ruth Gordon as always is great.  She is motherly and yet there is an air of menace to her in her eyes.  It’s a subtle thing that makes a world of difference. 

“Rosemary’s Baby” is a fantastic movie.  Maybe it’s the eerie paranoia that Mia Farrow portrays so well.  Maybe it’s the location of the claustrophobic apartment, the Dakota in New York, is where John Lennon met his fateful end.   It’s a chilling movie with a smart ending.  If you have a chance, give it a watch.