Director: Roman Polanski
Producer: William Castle
Starring: Mia Farrow, John Cassavetes, Ruth Gordon, Sidney Blackmer, Maurice Evans, Ralph Bellamy
Running Time: 136 minutes
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Review
Sometimes I wish I had never watched this film, not because it was a bad movie but because it creeped me out beyond belief! Ever since I watched it, I found myself being very wary of people for ages, always assuming that there was some kind of conspiracy going on. I suppose a film about the worship of Satan and the conception of demonic offspring would do that to a person.
Considering that the film involved Satanism, there were no reported unusual goings on set. The only thing that really happened was that Mia Farrow was served divorce papers by Frank Sinatra on set! This marital mishap however, attributed towards the scene were she was consoled during a party. Another emotion driven scene is the one were on the night Rosemary and her husband plan to conceive, their neighbour brings them over individual cups of chocolate mousse. Believing hers to have a chalky under taste, she throws it away. Not long after she passes out and starts having dreams that she is being raped by a Demonic presence in front of her husband and neighbours. She wakes up to find scratches all over her body, but her husband convinces her that it was just him. Farrow was said to have been traumatised at the prospect of having to do such a scene. Fortunately for her, it became one of the most famous and voted one of the scariest moments in film history. Looks like it was all worth it then!
What I love most about this movie is its borderline realness. By that, I don't just mean the fact that it could possibly happen in real life or that there are factors in the film that also happen to humans every day, what I mean is all the hidden little Easter eggs in the film that you wouldn't know about unless someone had told you or if you read it somewhere. For example, the above mentioned marital issues between Farrow and Sinatra playing a part in her emotional scene or the part were Rosemary calls Donald Baumgart. His voice was actually replaced by that of Tony Curtis. Farrow was not told this, she recognised the voice but couldn't place it, this helped her play the part of someone slightly confused very well. The best one was the scene were she wanders, dazed and confused into traffic. she was reluctant to do it but Polanski reassured her that "No one's going to hit a pregnant woman."
Some people are put off by the special effects, which I think is a bit ridiculous considering that it was made in the 60's! If you can, try and read the book firs as it truly is wonderful. It is one of the most controversial films you will ever see so if you are easily offended or are of a sensitive disposition, then this film is not for you.....and neither is this review for that matter...
Rating: 8/10 - Nobody puts (Rosemary's) Baby in the corner....
No comments:
Post a Comment