Back in 1968, Hollywood was still to witness the new wave of filmmakers that came and changed the equation of their popular cinema. Broadway theatrics gave way to noir, and filmmakers like Coppola, Scorsese, Brian De Palma and Kubrick found their groove. Among this new generation of filmmkers was also Roman Polanski, who directed some of the era-defining films of their time, including the apartment trilogy - Repulsion, The Tenant and Rosemary’s Baby. While the first two films were masterstrokes that challenged the status quo of the genre, Rosemary Baby’s easily his most revered and respectable work of horror.
Before The Exorcist released in 1973, Rosemary’s Baby had already found its footing as a terrifying film which didn’t rely on the familiar tropes of haunted houses, grotesque faces with heavy makeup or jump scares to inspire terror. The scary factor in the film works like slow poison, the tension palpable in every frame from the beginning, only to rise and become almost insufferable by the final act. The story is about a married couple, Guy and Rosemary Woodhouse, who move into an apartment and are greeted by their over-friendly neighbours, the Castevets, an elderly couple living across the hall. When the young couple decide to have a baby following rather weird occurrences(the apparent suicide of a young girl from the building), the elderly neighbours take a keen interest in her pregnancy. Their interference is annoying, but the couple go along with it, shrugging it off as parental concern. Mrs. Castevet has all the remedies to Rosemary’s condition, including home-made vitamin drinks and a recommended doctor to take care of Rosemary for the entire duration of her pregnancy.
Rosemary’s Baby is helmed by Polanski’s masterful direction in every scene, and in his first all-US production feature, he delivers a horror classic for the ages. While being a faithful adaptation of the novel, it doesn’t lose on its artistic touch. The twisted tale is based on a harrowing religious idea that is disturbing and profoundly affecting, and assured performances from the entire cast, mainly Mia Farrow and Ruth Gordon, make it a scarring experience that is best not for the faint of heart. The film is affecting on a psychological level than on a watch-and-forget experience, which plagues so many modern horror films which are all about gore and outdated storylines.