Runtime: 137 minutes
Directed by: Roman Polanski
Starring: Mia Farrow, John Cassavetes, Ruth Gordon, Sidney Blackmer, Maurice Evans
From: Paramount
RIP Charles Grodin
I recalled from seeing this many moons ago that his role (the first theatrical motion picture for him) was rather small; his screentime was even shorter than I had remembered, although still has some importance for the story and as typical, his performance was solid. Sometime later in the year will be a review of a movie where he has a more substantial part; for now, there are no regrets finally discussing this here.
Rosemary's Baby is a film that takes its time; after all, it is more than 45 minutes before the lead becomes pregnant and it is almost 140 minutes long. From the first minute, though, the sense of dread and macabre horror starts permeating the movie and does not let up until the end. For those that have never seen this, the eventual outcome will probably not be a surprise by the time the final act begins. The inevitability of it is what will more likely than not stick with you, along with several scenes that I never forgot. Those dream sequences... holy cow.
There is the elephant in the room of the director's personal life and various illegal acts he has allegedly done... that won't impact my rating or opinion of the movie. He's unfortunately one of many Hollywood directors who have or been accused of vile things and while it's less awkward if I simply don't watch most of his films, I will say that in a vacuum, he did a masterful job of directing here. The very way it is shot plays a critical role in setting the unsettling mood. Other aspects are aces: the music, the sets, the great clothing that Mia Farrow wears throughout. The cast as a whole does a swell job, but of course the highlights were Farrow and her reactions to all the gaslighing done to her, along with Ruth Gordon as the distaff half of the old neighbors that ingratiate themselves into her and her husband's life.
I won't demand that all horror fans check this out; those that want to pass due to their feelings on who made the movie, there won't be any arguments from me. Those that aren't turned off by the off-screen incidents that happened years after this was released, it is quite the harrowing experience. If you identify as a woman, I can only imagine what your reaction is to seeing Rosemary have almost every action controlled by a man... actually, there is a mutual here who noted just how stomach-churning that was for them.
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