So this movie was definitely very unnerving and I was so stressed almost the entire time! I loved most things about this from the slick and simple camera work to the incredible sound design and acting. Also, I'm so glad we learned what was in that closet... Thanks for watching! Have a great day! :)
@RolyPolyOllie Reactions -- For the Season, there are two movies: another Roman Polanski (he directs AND co-stars in the role of "Alfred), a cult classic "The Fearless Vampire Killers - or pardon me your teeth are in my neck". Think of it as Polankski's take on Hammer Films. Then, Ruth Gorden stars in another cult classic "Harold and Maude". I don't want to spoil your first experience with this must-see.
@@f.n.schlub2269 Didn't realize Ruth Gordon was in Harold And Maude. Love that movie and the characters. Gordon's character in Rosemary's Baby was so unsettling that I think I have separated her from any other performances.
I think you’ve hit this one on the head. Rosemary’s Baby is both an urban horror and a feminist thriller. Rosemary was gaslighted throughout the film and things were done TO her without consent - but at the end, she finally recognizes that she’s the most powerful person in the room, because she’s the mother, as she takes her place above all of them. It’s a cult, but she’s no longer their victim. She’s giving the orders now.
The scene when Rosemary is in the phone booth is one of the most suspenceful and creepy scenes in cinema, and when Dr Hill opens the door and Dr Saperstein walks into his surgery with Guy, you feel so bad for Rosemary.
Thanks for the fun reaction to this absolute classic. Sadly, Mia Farrow was not nominated that year, but Ruth Gordon won a very well deserved Oscar for Best Supporting Actress and gave one of my favorite Oscar acceptance speeches ever. The apartment house used in the film is the famous Dakota, where John Lennon lived and where he was assassinated (at the front entrance, seen several times in the film.)
I also heard that they had the actor Tony Curtis be the voice of the actor who went blind. They didn't tell Mia Farrow that it was him because they were hoping to get the "off" expression of her as she tried to place the voice while filming the scene.
Not only is Mia Farrow a terrific actress, she's also showbiz royalty. Her mother, Maureen O'Sullivan, was a classic film star and played Jane in the beloved MGM Tarzan movies. She famously dated Frank Sinatra. The journalist Ronan Farrow is her son. Mia had a long relationship with filmmaker Woody Allen, and made several great pictures with him, but that relationship ended in scandal which makes it hard for some people to watch those films today.
The man standing outside the phone booth, whom everyone thought was Ralph Bellamy, was actually the producer of the film, William Castle. He had bought the rights to the film and had planned to direct, but Paramount insisted on Roman Polanski.
"If some people think they have a hold on some things, I'm merely acting as a gentle reminder: here today, gone tomorrow, so, don't get attached to things.😉👍"
Great reaction as always! I think composer Christopher Komeda music during the elevator sequence was inspired. Rosemary was going into labor and the musical instruments were making monstrous baby wailing and screaming sounds. This is definitely a movie that has to be rewatched to fully appreciate what’s going on.
The author of the novel, Ira Levin, would make another succinct comment about how society treats women in The Stepford Wives, which also was made into a film.
It’s really not tho.. it’s about paranoia and women being forced out of their world, which is the home.. the author was a during addict and her views changed when she realised feminism killed femininity, and ended the family..
"He chose you, honey! From all the women in the world to be the mother of his only living son!" Fun Fact: Mia Farrow does the vocals on the title-sequence lullaby. Real Acting Fact: According to Mia Farrow, the scenes where Rosemary walks in front of traffic were spontaneous and genuine. (SOB Fugitive Director) is reported to have told her that "nobody will hit a pregnant woman" before filming. The scene was successfully shot with Farrow walking into real traffic and (SOB Fugitive Director) following, operating the hand-held camera since he was the only one willing to do it. Hot Take Fact: Many scenes are shot in one continuous unbroken take or with minimal cuts in an unnoticeable way, such as the opening scene where Rosemary and Guy first tour their apartment (two cuts), the laundry room scene (only one cut), the "let's have a baby" scene, the New Year's Eve party, Rosemary's and Guy's argument after their party, Rosemary's getting the unfortunate phone call about Hutch, the final scene at Dr. Sapirstein's office where she tells him of Adrian Marcato, Rosemary's phone call with Baumgard, and the famous phone booth scene.
He didn't choose her any more than he chose the drug addict the Castavets took home to mate with the devil but her death/suicide made them look for another victim. "I told you not to tell her in advance; I told you she wouldn't be open-minded. Now we have to start all over from scratch" (heard through the wall during Rosemary's dream)
josephkearny5874 ...Dude, I didn't write the dialogue. Please, you're not getting anywhere by pointing out the plot holes to me. Go in Peace and Walk with God. 😎 👍
Ollie, “Rosemary’s Baby” is one of those movies that most people watch more than once. Watch it again and pay VERY close attention, and you’ll notice all kinds of things you didn’t notice the first time. Roman Polanski was famous for noticing even the tiniest detail, and it’s something all his films have: attention to details. Another great Polanski film you’ll love is “The Ninth Gate”. It stars Johnny Depp as a book dealer looking for a book that was written by Satan, and it’s a fantastic story that’s very disturbing, but not gory.
You might like The Stepford Wives (1975) with Katharine Ross and Paula Prentiss. It has the same creepy, anxious vibe as Rosemary's Baby. There's something very unsettling about both of them. There was a "comedy" remake made of it in 2004, but didn't really work. Great cast though, with Nicole Kidman and Glenn Close, but needed to stay within the horror genre and go for a hard R rating to have made it work imho.
You keep forgetting about the year/time period of when these movies were released/take place. I'm sure a lot of people were scared as shit when they saw this film in theaters back in the late '60s. Nudity wasn't even a "normal" thing that was shown back then. Not to mention all the controversy that surrounded it (and still kind of does) after Roman Polanski's wife, the beautiful young actress Sharon Tate was brutally murdered by The Manson Family only a year after its release when she was 8 months pregnant. Anywho... being that Roman Polanski is Polish-French, this movie obviously has a super strong "Euro" flare overall which I absolutely love.
Really good review 😄 Doctor Hill was most likely not in on it. He most probably thought she was having some mental problems, so he called her husband and her other doctor. If I'm not mistaking, back then they didn't know that alcohol can do damage during pregnancy. So that's why they where drinking alcohol to celebrate when they found out she was pregnant 😱 Ruth Gordon won an Oscar for this role. And you're spot on, it's a social commentary on the position of women back then (and still applies to the way women are often seen/treated today)
I agree about Dr. Hill. Like any other doctor of the time, he just thought Rosemary was hysterical and it shows how society was almost like a cult and a conspiracy against women, and there was nowhere for Rosemary to go. When she decides to mother her child it also shows how marriage and motherhood were a trap for women.
Dr Hill was not part of the cult. The witches immediately had her go to Dr Saperstein and Guy was furious when Ro suggests getting a second opinion. Obviously, Rosemary sounds crazy.
This is my FAVOURITE horror movie!! Every single time I watch it I notice something different about it.. one subtle thing is when Guy and Rosemary go to Minnie’s and Roman’s for dinner.. when Minne and Rosemary are in the kitchen and the camera pans to the kitchen door looking into the living room and you just see an empty door frame and cigarette/cigar smoke.. that’s when Roman is discussing with Guy about selling their baby to the evil one.. Also, in the part of the lettre Rosemary sees while in Minnie’s kitchen; “I can no longer associate myself…”… that was Terri’s lettre telling Minnie and Roman ate cotisent associate with them after she learned what they were up to
John Cassavette has directed some great movies featuring his wife Gina Rowlands (the older woman from The Notebook) He acted to fund his independent films. ‘A Woman Under the Influence’ is such a gut punch that it still drains my life every time I think about that movie 😢
This is one of the best reactions I've ever seen on the internet. You were so thorough in your thoughts, and all the subtle things you noticed- including the commentary on the loss of Rosemary's agency. Her choices and feelings are stripped from her the entire way through- both physically and emotionally (one of the most jarring moments when Guy says "I didn't wanna miss baby night"). She desperately needs help, tries to find comfort in him, in her friend, even her previous doctor, but nobody pulls her out. It's a very deep message regarding misogyny, it's very self-aware for it's own time period.
The doctor who turned Rosemary in wasn't in on it. He was doing his job as a doctor. Seriously: If you're told a story about witches and spells from a woman who you seen twice, you'd be worried about her mental health too.
I've always interpreted it (and there might be a few more clues in the book) as Dr. Hill kind of believing her (or at least being willing to get her checked into Mt. Sinai since he knows her hormones are raging) until he hears the famous Dr. Sapirstein is Rosemary's doctor. At that point, he sees it as an upward career move to call Sapirstein to tell him what's going on. Just like Guy will do what it takes to get ahead in his career, so does Dr. Hill see a chance to get buddy-buddy with a doctor who can help him move in more rarefied circles.
@@jasoncook7227 In the book, Dr. Hill had nothing to do with the witches, and he was only concerned for Rosemary’s well being. When she told him about the witches he was sure she was having a psychotic episode.
Since you remarked on Mia Farrow's acting talent... you might enjoy two of my favorites from her... another drug-related tale, but much lighter than the one you're watching here... ALICE (1990). And the quintessential dysfunctional family comedy/drama... HANNAH AND HER SISTERS (1986). Both of those happen to have been written and directed by Woody Allen.
Farrow is also very good in The Purple Rose of Cairo, directed by her then-partner, Woody Allen. Her father was the actor John Farrow, and several plot lines in Hannah and Her Sisters have origins in the stories of Woody Allen’s and Mia Farrow’s families, and in their relationship with each other. Farrow’s sister is who the Beatles song, Dear Prudence, is about. Cassavetes (pronounces kas-uh-VET-ees) was married to the brilliant actress Gena Rowland, best showcased in the movie, Gloria. Maurice Evans, who played Hutch, had a recurring role at the time as Samantha’s warlock father on the TV sitcom series, Bewitched. Gordon’s Oscar acceptance speech is brief, but memorable, coming 70 years into her career. Worth watching on TH-cam.
The apartment building, The Bramford in the film, was in actuality the famous or infamous The Dakota, where John Lennon lived and was assassinated by Mark David Chapman in Dec. 1980. Exteriors I should say, interiors were on a Studio soundstage.
Part 2. Hard to believe John Cassavetes is only 5'7" an inch or two taller than Mia Farrow. And Ruth Gordon is a riot in this. Her line delivery is pure free jazz, like Angie Dickinson in Rio Bravo. You know where it starts but where the hell is it going?
I liked the scene at the table where you see Roman staring at Hutch in a disquieting way. Later Hutch talked of Roman's "piercing eyes." Sidney Blackmer was superb in the way he was menacing yet somewhat likable at the same time. When he's leaving for his holiday his goodbye to Rosemary had believable warmth between the two, and at the end she spit in her husband's face, not Roman's. Great, Oscar-worthy performance.
The unsung hero of the movie was Director of Photography (aka cameraman) William Fraker, who was a brilliant cinematographer and has several masterpieces to his credit.
"The Killing of a Chinese Bookie" (1976) ... Written and directed by Cassavetes (It's a Greek name, so like "Hermes" it's pronounced with "eez" at the end). Please consider watching it, it's brilliant. As you are someone who enjoys analysing movies, and does it thoughtfully, I think you'll _really_ enjoy it. The soundscape artistry, like this one, is a thing not to be missed!
I agree with your comment regarding RB's theme of womanhood although thankfully Roman Polanski uses this undercurrent very subtly. The film isn't about "society and conformity" in a broad sense, but about pockets of isolated malcontents, in this case witches, who victimize and isolate even further a single person with smiles that are sinister disguises for malignance. If you want to see other Mia Farrow performances that are splendidly good, first check out BROADWAY DANNY ROSE (1984) for something completely different.
Poor Mia Farrow. Not only did she have to endure so many things in the movie, her then hubby Frank Sinatra, who didn't want her to do the movie, served her with divorce papers on the set. 💔
What did she have to "endure" during the movie? She loved shooting this movie, plus it totally blew up her career, it was the biggest movie she was in for years. She's talked at length about the shooting of the movie, both in interviews and her own book. The only thing she had to "endure" was the Sinatra stuff. Casavettes and Polanski didn't get along, but from all accounts that was the only bump in the road during the filming. Polanski had to "endure" having himself and his subsequently-slaughtered wife being presumed by the press and public to be satanist cult members because of this movie (until they nabbed the Manson family for the horrible crimes) But Mia Farrow was an actress, she was playing a part, she wasn't "enduring" anything. The behind-the-scenes footage of her sure looks like she's having a good time; she was a flower child and was painting flowers on her dressing room door, dancing around....the part wasn't even that taxing, physically. Most of her scenes are dialog.
The last scene in the movie “Rosemary’s Baby”, where the camera pans up and away, like a departing soul, is the exact spot where John Lennon was ritually sacrificed outside of the Dakota Building, 13 years after this ending was shot.🍸
have you ever looked up that guy who's driven around the USA in a van for decades yelling to everyone that "he knows that Stephen King shot John Lennon"? Weird story.
Ira Levin also wrote a sequel of "Rosemary's Baby", "Rosemary's son". In it, the baby got a normal appearance with the years. When he has nine, the coven causes Rosemary to fall into a deep coma. She wakes up 20 years later, to find that her son has become a world spiritual leader. It begins so.
This film starred the biggest actors of the time- Mia Farrow (when she is married to Frank Sinatra) and John Cassavetes who was a great writer and director of some of the most amazing films of that time.
This introduced me to both. Mia was great in this and with Woody Allen. John was better as a director than starring in Mikey and Nicky. I find A Woman Under The Influence better than Chinatown.
They absolutely are demons, Oliver. You nailed it. Even the old man’s name is fishy: *Roman Castevet*. It’s really an anagram for *Steven Marcato*, a Sandor LaVey type
There's actually a sequel to the novel called Son of Rosemary by the same author. It's interesting. They also did a Made-for-TV remake with Zoe Saldana and Jason Isaacs a few years back. It's pretty good.
Try to catch Polanski's "Fearless Vampire Killers," which stars Polanski and his future wife, the gorgeous (and tragic) Sharon Tate. This film is scary and funny at the same time--difficult to do but perfect for Halloween. Thanks.
Mia Farrow’s nervous breakdown wasn’t entirely simulated. She really was under duress during filming, because Frank Sinatra had the cajones to serve her with divorce papers
Ira Levin, the novel’s author, was renowned for horror satire. *Rosemary’s Baby* pokes fun(?) at the debate over whether or not God exists. It lampshades the *Devil but no God* trope
Theresa was told in advance what was going to happen and excepted this, then she had change of heart and killed herself. If you listen to and observe everything that's happening in this perfect film, you will understand everything.
Thanks for your intelligent analysis Ollie. On first viewing in the cinema, I found it a very claustrophobic movie. Tense and unsettling. For me, the scariest movie I ever saw about abnormal children was the original (1960) Village of the damned. It gave me recurring nightmares.
@@RolyPolyOllieReactions Hi Ollie Yes, there was a TV series called the Midwich Cuckoo's. That was the novel on which Village Of The Damned was based. There where in fact 3 movies based on the novel. The original Village Of The Damned. Scariest and best. Children Of The Damned 1962 and John Carpenters 1995 version again called Village Of The Damned. The novel was written by a British science fiction author called John Wyndham. The original 1960 movie is set in a somnolent little fictitious English village called Midwich. All the women of childbearing age become inexplicably pregnant and give birth to ultra weird children. I won't elaborate any more in case you should ever watch it.
Great review, I recommend another Mia Farrow movie called haunting of julia. Another excellent film I don't see reviewed enough is the hanging at picnic Rock
Christopher Komeda'swho wrote the music real name is Krzysztof Komeda. He was Pole like Roman Polański (he died in 1969). He wrote music for only 3 foreign movies, incuding "Dance of the Vampires" by Roman Polański.
I suggest you watch the following films: my little princess 2011 Look Away, 2018 Brimstone 2016 Girl in the Basement 2021 Compliance, 2012 Miss Violence 2013 Hounddog 2007
I really enjoyed your reactions to this movie. And I like the Vegas uthey used to take from it. I would love to see you critique, the fearless vampire killers. It's another Roman Polanski movie and in fact, he. Is in the movie. I think you would really like it. It's kind of a dark comedy
So the movie is exactly about being a woman. I mean even the haircut is important in the movie. He lambaste her for not having a "womanly" haircut. It's also like, natural for women to have babies and in this movie she basically had no say in the impregnation (sexual assault), how to do things, doctors telling her what's best. When she does try to tell somebody exactly her experience she's told she's crazy. Guy is named "GUY" and you're suppose to like him so you too feel the betrayal he does. Basically, she's being told the entire time to not trust her judgement as a woman and to listen to what everybody else is telling her. I would consider it more of a thriller than a horror and yes, I feel anxious at times as you want to help her but all you can do is watch and you're like, "RUN ROSEMARY, RUUUUUN!" Basically things women experience and are told they're stupid and wrong for thinking that.
The book and movie doesn't get into Guy's head, but human nature tells me that maybe Guy didn't get into the coven willingly or take it seriously until it was too late. It's awfully easy to imagine Guy saying "You can do what?" And thinking,"Sure. Okay... I'll play along with them. Maybe we'll get some free meals out of them." And then his rival goes blind immediately and Guy thinks "Holy Shit!!!! They really CAN do shit like this!! Maybe I'd better play along and give them what they want or they'll kill us both! And we'll get rich if we just sacrifice a baby. And if we don't we'll end up like Terry." Guy never says either way but it COULD be true. Like I said, human nature says he'd probably play along at first until he gets the part and then he'd be terrified of killing himself and his wife if he didn't keep his end of the bargain.
Generic jump scare, violent horror films have never been my bag and dont scare me. But religious horror with amazingly built tension are terrifiying to me. And they are the far superior type of horror film
The first thing you see going in the theater is the poster. it reads "Pray for. Rosemary's Baby". I read the book first, it was a best seller. I did it in one sitting. The movie was faithful to the novel. Beautiful acting. Ruth Gordon took best supporting actress . box office success.
This film was very good. You should watch European films from 50-70s. I recommend Fellini. La Strada and so on especially La Dolce Vita, 8½ and Amarcord sequentially.
Ira Levin, Roman Polanski. You need to react to the original 1975 Stepford Wives based on a Ira Levin novel and the 1988 Polanski directed movie Frantic featuring Harrison Ford. It has a very Hitchcock feel to it.
Just watched your video and it was excellent. This is a true horror movie, not some safe scary roller coaster, comfort food movie where you can get cheap thrills and jumps and when it's over, it's over. No, Polanski begins tightening the screws and just keeps tightening them with no relief. You hate seeing what's happening but you can't look away because the damned thing is so smart and well-made and compelling AND you feel Polanski's intelligence in every frame. The Omen was Hollywood horror, but Polanski is so far above that it's incredible. ALL of his movies are like that. If the Manson murders of his wife and unborn child hadn't unhinged his personal life, he would have stayed in America and been crowned for what he is: the greatest living director in the world. I mean, guys like Hitchcock can't carry his shadow. Kubrick and Tarantino either. Howard Hawks is my favorite director but his style is so radically different that you really can't compare the two. In Europe a lot of critics labelled this a Social Comedy, which it could be considered. The genre is real enough but it doesn't mean it's a laugh out loud kind of comedy; Social Comedies look at society and human nature and exaggerate them to the point of Absurdity. Get Out, Funny Games, the Stepford Wives, Mother!, and 1938's Holiday are all Social Comedies and some are downright frightening to me, especially Funny Games, about a home invasion, with Naomi Watts and Tim Roth. Polanski kept RB vague enough to fit a lot of theories and he's never commented on what his true intentions were. He knows that would end the speculation. But as a Holocaust survivor claustrophobia and paranoia and the feeling of being trapped are his big fears and themes, understandably so. He lost nearly all his family to the death camps and barely escaped himself, so the feeling of no way out is paramount to him. Just the idea of jail drove him to leave the country. And then look at the Manson murders. Only dumb luck kept him from meeting the same fate as his wife. This movie functions on many levels; it's not "trapped" into being one thing. Yes it's about the treatment of women, about mental illness/delusional thinking, about the silliness of horror movies, about the establishment vs. the counter-culture, and of course it's about Satan being the father of Rosemary's Baby. And parts of it ARE genuinely funny: Minnie, Laura Louise, and Sidney Blackmer all have moments you'd expect to see on a sitcom rather than a horror film. Minnie to Roman: "sometimes I wonder how you're the leader of ANYTHING!" A henpecked devil worshipper. Now that IS funny.
Part 3. Guy doesn't touch her once the devil's had her. He's scared to. And of course the scratches meant he had to come up with some plausible story. He had to pretend to have had sex the her so the pregnancy wouldn't be a shock. And over it all was the possibility of Rosemary as an unreliable narrator. Not even the baby's eyes are shown. She could be crazy. And where's her family? Why aren't her parents or his not involved?
Overseas this movie was a social comedy, like Dr. Strangelove. And Ruth Gordon and John Cassavetes played it that way, broad and over the top. Even Farrow was too innocent. But since it hit at face value, Polanski had to wait decades before revealing what Europe already knew. And I wouldn't wait a year to watch a movie I really wanted to watch. I'm sure you didn't either. Come on, the whole 'first time watching' thing is a gentleman's agreement not to talk about the stuff we know about, like professional wrestling or musical theater.
i love this movie! mia farrow is a favorite. scariest part for me had to be the dream sex sequence. all these dream analogies so you think its not happening. then she says "This is really happening!" and they cover her face, hard cut. CHILLS.
I remember watching this movie when I was 13 years old or something like that. Way back in like 1984. Yes I'm old LOL. I remember that it really put the heebie-jeebies in me. Especially the ending. Just so creepy. I would say that the Holy Trinity of scary movies having to do with the devil are #1 The Exorcist #2 The Omen #3 Rosemary's Danish, hmmm, i mean Baby! 😂 The rest are only Pretenders to the throne of these 3 classics. After 53 years on this rock I can confidently tell you that I am an atheist. All of this s*** is b*******. People who believe in any of this stuff have the IQ of an onion. Religion is nothing but a system of control. But anyhow, enough of my yapping. Cool reaction, love your show, I subscribed. Take care bro.
This is one of those deranged movies to me. Like a level of creepy that rivals Stanley Kubrick. When I think about it, this movie sets the stage for films like Hereditary
Mia Farrow is the voice of the unicorn, in the animated movie The Last Unicorn. You should react to it. Yes they drugged her with the chocolate mousse. That's why there was an under taste. Also I'm pretty sure this is before the knowledge of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome & the dangers of drinking while pregnant. Also Rosemary's biggest mistake in this, besides being too nice & too trusting, & not assertive enough, is telling Guy & others what she's thinking, & what she's going to do before she does it.
Roman Polanski is a very "interesting" character who has always dabbled with the diabolic, and macabre occult themes, some say this film reveals a bit of autobiographical details in the "deal with the devil" as a prerequisite for worldly success especially as it pertains to showbiz and hellywood. Consider the sad fate of his wife Sharon Tate and their unborn child.
All your points about oppression of women are good ones. The movie is also a comment on the metaphorical “death of God”, the rise of the cult of the expert, and the medicalization of natural processes like childbearing. With its Manhattan locations, the central character (a lapsed Catholic) appears, at first, to be living a fashionable dreamlike existence. But then, in one of the greatest hubs of civilization that’s ever existed, finds that she is in a primitive, spiritually hollow wilderness, alone among crowds. The character most recognizably scary to me is Dr. Sapperstein-dangerous, in large part, because he is a respected expert who can expect his lies to always be believed. I think he simply fools the other doctor, who means well. That other doctor is played by a then-unknown Charles Grodin, who went on to a career of mostly comic roles, before becoming a TV talk-show host. Sapperstein, of course, is played by the accomplished actor, Ralph Bellamy, who played FDR in Sunrise at Campobello. I love the way the principle antagonists, Minnie and Roman, hide in omnipresent plain sight. Minnie, in particular, is so obnoxious that no one sees what she’s up to because people who find her annoying are too busy trying to look away from her. The interior and exterior apartment-house scenes were shot at The Dakota, at W. 72nd St. and Central Park West, home of many celebrities, including Yoko Ono and, until his murder, John Lennon. Lennon was shot to death in front of the building entrance that’s shown at the beginning of the movie. The Imagine mosaic and Strawberry Fields garden (named for the Lennon-penned Beatles song, which references a park in Liverpool) are now just inside Central Park, near the building.
It's interesting that you brought up "womanhood". I've never thought of that angle per se. Now that I do, I see an interesting opposite perspective on masculinity. The fact that Rosemary's husband becomes a willing partner with the those with power is very much a statement of masculine complicity for the sake of power. He had absolutely no moral qualms about making a deal with the devil for material gains. In fact, he still rationalizes it to Rosemary in the same room as the now born demon baby. I see it as a statement on how easy man is to seduce even it's crazy and psycho people doing the seduction. These weren't the typical sexy voluptuous woman seducing a man into doing something that you frequently see in films. These were ugly old trolls seducing him against his own wife and it was just as easy. Whereas Rosemary ultimately loses in the end, at least she tried to fight it. Her husband immediately bought into the evil w the promise of "big dick" power and status. I think that correlation is an equally apt statement on masculinity that we see all of the time.
There is also a tv movie sequel Whatever Happened to Rosemary's Baby without Mia Farrow but substituting Oscar winner Patty Duke but with Oscar winner Ruth Gordon from the original. You get the feeling Rosemary's Baby inspired the the book and horror film The Sentinel. John Cassavetes would be in the horror film The Fury directed by Brian Depalma of Carrie(1976) His son Nick is a Director, Writer, and Actor. Author Ira Levin wrote the sequel Son of Rosemary. Mia was married to Frank Sinatra at the time who did not want her to do the RB but she was told she had a chance at the Best Actress Oscar. Frank had powerful friends in the Academy plus people were afraid of his mob connections so she was not even nominated. Ira Levin wrote the fantastic book The Stepford Wives controversial film with Katherine Ross(1975) which remade with Nicole Kidman and Bette Midler in 2004.
This would have definitely been considered scary horror to audiences of the late 60s, even more so for women who were living through a pre-roe v. wade time period, where women’s choices over their bodies, lives and finances were legally under the control of either their husband or father. Repulsion (1965) is another amazing film directed by RP that also revolves around similar themes, it has quite a bit more ‘horror’ in it as well !
So this movie was definitely very unnerving and I was so stressed almost the entire time! I loved most things about this from the slick and simple camera work to the incredible sound design and acting. Also, I'm so glad we learned what was in that closet...
Thanks for watching! Have a great day! :)
Ruth Gordon won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for this film.
@RolyPolyOllie Reactions -- For the Season, there are two movies: another Roman Polanski (he directs AND co-stars in the role of "Alfred), a cult classic "The Fearless Vampire Killers - or pardon me your teeth are in my neck". Think of it as Polankski's take on Hammer Films. Then, Ruth Gorden stars in another cult classic "Harold and Maude". I don't want to spoil your first experience with this must-see.
@@f.n.schlub2269 Didn't realize Ruth Gordon was in Harold And Maude. Love that movie and the characters. Gordon's character in Rosemary's Baby was so unsettling that I think I have separated her from any other performances.
I think you’ve hit this one on the head. Rosemary’s Baby is both an urban horror and a feminist thriller. Rosemary was gaslighted throughout the film and things were done TO her without consent - but at the end, she finally recognizes that she’s the most powerful person in the room, because she’s the mother, as she takes her place above all of them. It’s a cult, but she’s no longer their victim. She’s giving the orders now.
For more unsettling apartment life insanity, see "The Tenant" directed by Roman Polanski and starring Roman Polanski.
The scene when Rosemary is in the phone booth is one of the most suspenceful and creepy scenes in cinema, and when Dr Hill opens the door and Dr Saperstein walks into his surgery with Guy, you feel so bad for Rosemary.
That phone booth scene was very tense. Such a simple shot, but totally enthralling.
@@mediacenterman8583 Agreed.
Thanks for the fun reaction to this absolute classic. Sadly, Mia Farrow was not nominated that year, but Ruth Gordon won a very well deserved Oscar for Best Supporting Actress and gave one of my favorite Oscar acceptance speeches ever. The apartment house used in the film is the famous Dakota, where John Lennon lived and where he was assassinated (at the front entrance, seen several times in the film.)
Fun fact: Polanski actually had Mia Farrow walk into traffic. No stunt drivers, just NYC drivers who had no idea a movie was being filmed!
I also heard that they had the actor Tony Curtis be the voice of the actor who went blind. They didn't tell Mia Farrow that it was him because they were hoping to get the "off" expression of her as she tried to place the voice while filming the scene.
Not only is Mia Farrow a terrific actress, she's also showbiz royalty. Her mother, Maureen O'Sullivan, was a classic film star and played Jane in the beloved MGM Tarzan movies. She famously dated Frank Sinatra. The journalist Ronan Farrow is her son. Mia had a long relationship with filmmaker Woody Allen, and made several great pictures with him, but that relationship ended in scandal which makes it hard for some people to watch those films today.
She MARRIED Sinatra.
The man standing outside the phone booth, whom everyone thought was Ralph Bellamy, was actually the producer of the film, William Castle. He had bought the rights to the film and had planned to direct, but Paramount insisted on Roman Polanski.
Absolutely love Ruth Gordon in ‘Harold and Maude’ makes really want live life not hold onto things, be in the moment and to go on and love some more 💕
"If some people think they have a hold on some things, I'm merely acting as a gentle reminder: here today, gone tomorrow, so, don't get attached to things.😉👍"
Your analysis is spot on. I so enjoy your scholarly reviews/reactions. Mia Farrow and Ruth Gordon are truly tour de forces in this film.
Great reaction as always! I think composer Christopher Komeda music during the elevator sequence was inspired. Rosemary was going into labor and the musical instruments were making monstrous baby wailing and screaming sounds. This is definitely a movie that has to be rewatched to fully appreciate what’s going on.
The lullaby was composed by the late jazz musician Krzysztof Komeda. He and Roman Polanski were frequent collaborators
Nailed it Ollie. It's totally about society removing women's agency. The book was written fairly early into the women's liberation movement in the 60s
The author of the novel, Ira Levin, would make another succinct comment about how society treats women in The Stepford Wives, which also was made into a film.
@@johnmoreland6089 Also the author of the play, Deathtrap.
It’s really not tho.. it’s about paranoia and women being forced out of their world, which is the home.. the author was a during addict and her views changed when she realised feminism killed femininity, and ended the family..
@the author Ira Levin us a man!
"He chose you, honey! From all the women in the world to be the mother of his only living son!"
Fun Fact: Mia Farrow does the vocals on the title-sequence lullaby.
Real Acting Fact: According to Mia Farrow, the scenes where Rosemary walks in front of traffic were spontaneous and genuine. (SOB Fugitive Director) is reported to have told her that "nobody will hit a pregnant woman" before filming. The scene was successfully shot with Farrow walking into real traffic and (SOB Fugitive Director) following, operating the hand-held camera since he was the only one willing to do it.
Hot Take Fact: Many scenes are shot in one continuous unbroken take or with minimal cuts in an unnoticeable way, such as the opening scene where Rosemary and Guy first tour their apartment (two cuts), the laundry room scene (only one cut), the "let's have a baby" scene, the New Year's Eve party, Rosemary's and Guy's argument after their party, Rosemary's getting the unfortunate phone call about Hutch, the final scene at Dr. Sapirstein's office where she tells him of Adrian Marcato, Rosemary's phone call with Baumgard, and the famous phone booth scene.
He didn't choose her any more than he chose the drug addict the Castavets took home to mate with the devil but her death/suicide made them look for another victim. "I told you not to tell her in advance; I told you she wouldn't be open-minded. Now we have to start all over from scratch" (heard through the wall during Rosemary's dream)
josephkearny5874 ...Dude, I didn't write the dialogue. Please, you're not getting anywhere by pointing out the plot holes to me.
Go in Peace and Walk with God. 😎 👍
Ollie, “Rosemary’s Baby” is one of those movies that most people watch more than once. Watch it again and pay VERY close attention, and you’ll notice all kinds of things you didn’t notice the first time. Roman Polanski was famous for noticing even the tiniest detail, and it’s something all his films have: attention to details. Another great Polanski film you’ll love is “The Ninth Gate”. It stars Johnny Depp as a book dealer looking for a book that was written by Satan, and it’s a fantastic story that’s very disturbing, but not gory.
I totally agree with you, I consider this to be a perfect film, worth viewing multiple times to tie all end together.
You might like The Stepford Wives (1975) with Katharine Ross and Paula Prentiss. It has the same creepy, anxious vibe as Rosemary's Baby. There's something very unsettling about both of them. There was a "comedy" remake made of it in 2004, but didn't really work. Great cast though, with Nicole Kidman and Glenn Close, but needed to stay within the horror genre and go for a hard R rating to have made it work imho.
It makes sense they're similar since both books were written by Ira Levin.
@@janleonard3101 True - I'd completely forgotten that!
You keep forgetting about the year/time period of when these movies were released/take place. I'm sure a lot of people were scared as shit when they saw this film in theaters back in the late '60s. Nudity wasn't even a "normal" thing that was shown back then. Not to mention all the controversy that surrounded it (and still kind of does) after Roman Polanski's wife, the beautiful young actress Sharon Tate was brutally murdered by The Manson Family only a year after its release when she was 8 months pregnant. Anywho... being that Roman Polanski is Polish-French, this movie obviously has a super strong "Euro" flare overall which I absolutely love.
Really good review 😄 Doctor Hill was most likely not in on it. He most probably thought she was having some mental problems, so he called her husband and her other doctor.
If I'm not mistaking, back then they didn't know that alcohol can do damage during pregnancy. So that's why they where drinking alcohol to celebrate when they found out she was pregnant 😱
Ruth Gordon won an Oscar for this role. And you're spot on, it's a social commentary on the position of women back then (and still applies to the way women are often seen/treated today)
I agree about Dr. Hill. Like any other doctor of the time, he just thought Rosemary was hysterical and it shows how society was almost like a cult and a conspiracy against women, and there was nowhere for Rosemary to go. When she decides to mother her child it also shows how marriage and motherhood were a trap for women.
Dr Hill was not part of the cult. The witches immediately had her go to Dr Saperstein and Guy was furious when Ro suggests getting a second opinion. Obviously, Rosemary sounds crazy.
Minnie is Ruth Gordon, you should check her out in "Harold and Maude"! 1966 was a very good year for people named Marc.
Harold and Maude is an AMAZING film! Hope it will get a reaction sometime soon!
This is my FAVOURITE horror movie!! Every single time I watch it I notice something different about it.. one subtle thing is when Guy and Rosemary go to Minnie’s and Roman’s for dinner.. when Minne and Rosemary are in the kitchen and the camera pans to the kitchen door looking into the living room and you just see an empty door frame and cigarette/cigar smoke.. that’s when Roman is discussing with Guy about selling their baby to the evil one..
Also, in the part of the lettre Rosemary sees while in Minnie’s kitchen; “I can no longer associate myself…”… that was Terri’s lettre telling Minnie and Roman ate cotisent associate with them after she learned what they were up to
John Cassavette has directed some great movies featuring his wife Gina Rowlands (the older woman from The Notebook) He acted to fund his independent films. ‘A Woman Under the Influence’ is such a gut punch that it still drains my life every time I think about that movie 😢
Yes, that movie is a gut punch. The "Dad, will you please stand up for me?" scene absolutely destroys me.
I hope you'll eventually react to *Ruth* *Gordon* in one of the strangest, funniest, most life-affirming movies ever... HAROLD AND MAUDE (1971). 💎
Yes!! Love that movie, it's so weird and wonderful
Thanks, Melissa! 🥂
Thanks, Oliver! 😱 This is one of my favorites. I adore Mia Farrow... and Ruth Gordon. #RolyPolyOllie #RomanPolanski #RosemarysBaby #RosemarysBaby1968
This is one of the best reactions I've ever seen on the internet. You were so thorough in your thoughts, and all the subtle things you noticed- including the commentary on the loss of Rosemary's agency. Her choices and feelings are stripped from her the entire way through- both physically and emotionally (one of the most jarring moments when Guy says "I didn't wanna miss baby night"). She desperately needs help, tries to find comfort in him, in her friend, even her previous doctor, but nobody pulls her out. It's a very deep message regarding misogyny, it's very self-aware for it's own time period.
The doctor who turned Rosemary in wasn't in on it. He was doing his job as a doctor. Seriously: If you're told a story about witches and spells from a woman who you seen twice, you'd be worried about her mental health too.
I've always interpreted it (and there might be a few more clues in the book) as Dr. Hill kind of believing her (or at least being willing to get her checked into Mt. Sinai since he knows her hormones are raging) until he hears the famous Dr. Sapirstein is Rosemary's doctor. At that point, he sees it as an upward career move to call Sapirstein to tell him what's going on. Just like Guy will do what it takes to get ahead in his career, so does Dr. Hill see a chance to get buddy-buddy with a doctor who can help him move in more rarefied circles.
@@jasoncook7227 In the book, Dr. Hill had nothing to do with the witches, and he was only concerned for Rosemary’s well being. When she told him about the witches he was sure she was having a psychotic episode.
Since you remarked on Mia Farrow's acting talent... you might enjoy two of my favorites from her... another drug-related tale, but much lighter than the one you're watching here... ALICE (1990). And the quintessential dysfunctional family comedy/drama... HANNAH AND HER SISTERS (1986). Both of those happen to have been written and directed by Woody Allen.
I second Hannah and Her Sisters!
@@paleasaghost1 Thank you! 👻
Farrow is also very good in The Purple Rose of Cairo, directed by her then-partner, Woody Allen. Her father was the actor John Farrow, and several plot lines in Hannah and Her Sisters have origins in the stories of Woody Allen’s and Mia Farrow’s families, and in their relationship with each other. Farrow’s sister is who the Beatles song, Dear Prudence, is about. Cassavetes (pronounces kas-uh-VET-ees) was married to the brilliant actress Gena Rowland, best showcased in the movie, Gloria. Maurice Evans, who played Hutch, had a recurring role at the time as Samantha’s warlock father on the TV sitcom series, Bewitched. Gordon’s Oscar acceptance speech is brief, but memorable, coming 70 years into her career. Worth watching on TH-cam.
There is a terrible sequel to this film called Look What's Happened to Rosemary's Baby, which is only worth watching if you want a good laugh!
It's nice to see a young person's reaction to a classic movie like this.
The apartment building, The Bramford in the film, was in actuality the famous or infamous The Dakota, where John Lennon lived and was assassinated by Mark David Chapman in Dec. 1980. Exteriors I should say, interiors were on a Studio soundstage.
definitely something weird [occult] going on there!
Part 2. Hard to believe John Cassavetes is only 5'7" an inch or two taller than Mia Farrow. And Ruth Gordon is a riot in this. Her line delivery is pure free jazz, like Angie Dickinson in Rio Bravo. You know where it starts but where the hell is it going?
I liked the scene at the table where you see Roman staring at Hutch in a disquieting way. Later Hutch talked of Roman's "piercing eyes." Sidney Blackmer was superb in the way he was menacing yet somewhat likable at the same time. When he's leaving for his holiday his goodbye to Rosemary had believable warmth between the two, and at the end she spit in her husband's face, not Roman's. Great, Oscar-worthy performance.
The unsung hero of the movie was Director of Photography (aka cameraman) William Fraker, who was a brilliant cinematographer and has several masterpieces to his credit.
The apartment building in NEW YORK is The Dakota where John Lennon & Lauren Bacall lived.
I love Ollie's reactions. He's so perceptive and funny.
"The Killing of a Chinese Bookie" (1976) ... Written and directed by Cassavetes (It's a Greek name, so like "Hermes" it's pronounced with "eez" at the end). Please consider watching it, it's brilliant. As you are someone who enjoys analysing movies, and does it thoughtfully, I think you'll _really_ enjoy it. The soundscape artistry, like this one, is a thing not to be missed!
You provided a wonderful reaction and commentary on this classic film! Keep up your excellent work!
I agree with your comment regarding RB's theme of womanhood although thankfully Roman Polanski uses this undercurrent very subtly. The film isn't about "society and conformity" in a broad sense, but about pockets of isolated malcontents, in this case witches, who victimize and isolate even further a single person with smiles that are sinister disguises for malignance.
If you want to see other Mia Farrow performances that are splendidly good, first check out BROADWAY DANNY ROSE (1984) for something completely different.
I was halfway through "Broadway Danny Rose" before I even realized it was her!
@@epsteinisms1483 I know, right?!
Poor Mia Farrow. Not only did she have to endure so many things in the movie, her then hubby Frank Sinatra, who didn't want her to do the movie, served her with divorce papers on the set. 💔
What did she have to "endure" during the movie? She loved shooting this movie, plus it totally blew up her career, it was the biggest movie she was in for years. She's talked at length about the shooting of the movie, both in interviews and her own book. The only thing she had to "endure" was the Sinatra stuff. Casavettes and Polanski didn't get along, but from all accounts that was the only bump in the road during the filming. Polanski had to "endure" having himself and his subsequently-slaughtered wife being presumed by the press and public to be satanist cult members because of this movie (until they nabbed the Manson family for the horrible crimes) But Mia Farrow was an actress, she was playing a part, she wasn't "enduring" anything. The behind-the-scenes footage of her sure looks like she's having a good time; she was a flower child and was painting flowers on her dressing room door, dancing around....the part wasn't even that taxing, physically. Most of her scenes are dialog.
Mia Farrow has proved to have some very dodgy taste in men.
@@DarkAngel459 #WoodyAllen
@@DarkAngel459 Fact!
@@DarkAngel459
And Sinatra was her biggest one. Never liked the guy, nor his acting & singing. 😬
But this has little to do with Polanski's movie....
The last scene in the movie “Rosemary’s Baby”, where the camera pans up and away, like a departing soul, is the exact spot where John Lennon was ritually sacrificed outside of the Dakota Building, 13 years after this ending was shot.🍸
have you ever looked up that guy who's driven around the USA in a van for decades yelling to everyone that "he knows that Stephen King shot John Lennon"? Weird story.
Ira Levin also wrote a sequel of "Rosemary's Baby", "Rosemary's son". In it, the baby got a normal appearance with the years. When he has nine, the coven causes Rosemary to fall into a deep coma. She wakes up 20 years later, to find that her son has become a world spiritual leader. It begins so.
You're right on point . WONDERFUL, intelligent, review bravo 👏👏👏👏👏
This film starred the biggest actors of the time- Mia Farrow (when she is married to Frank Sinatra) and John Cassavetes who was a great writer and director of some of the most amazing films of that time.
This introduced me to both. Mia was great in this and with Woody Allen. John was better as a director than starring in Mikey and Nicky. I find A Woman Under The Influence better than Chinatown.
The twist ending was on Bravo's 100 Scariest Movie Moments.
I would argue that the rape scene is pretty scary.
They absolutely are demons, Oliver. You nailed it. Even the old man’s name is fishy: *Roman Castevet*. It’s really an anagram for *Steven Marcato*, a Sandor LaVey type
Check out the sequel called Oregeno's Baby.
The Second Thyme
@@hollywoodguy70 😁
There's actually a sequel to the novel called Son of Rosemary by the same author. It's interesting. They also did a Made-for-TV remake with Zoe Saldana and Jason Isaacs a few years back. It's pretty good.
Try to catch Polanski's "Fearless Vampire Killers," which stars Polanski and his future wife, the gorgeous (and tragic) Sharon Tate. This film is scary and funny at the same time--difficult to do but perfect for Halloween. Thanks.
Mia Farrow’s nervous breakdown wasn’t entirely simulated. She really was under duress during filming, because Frank Sinatra had the cajones to serve her with divorce papers
Ira Levin, the novel’s author, was renowned for horror satire. *Rosemary’s Baby* pokes fun(?) at the debate over whether or not God exists. It lampshades the *Devil but no God* trope
Theresa was told in advance what was going to happen and excepted this, then she had change of heart and killed herself. If you listen to and observe everything that's happening in this perfect film, you will understand everything.
I think your analysis on the themes of the movie and womanhood in society was spot on!
Thanks for your intelligent analysis Ollie. On first viewing in the cinema, I found it a very claustrophobic movie. Tense and unsettling. For me, the scariest movie I ever saw about abnormal children was the original (1960) Village of the damned. It gave me recurring nightmares.
Yeah claustrophobic is such a good way to describe it! I actually have never heard of Village of the Damned! Is it a series?
@@RolyPolyOllieReactions Hi Ollie
Yes, there was a TV series called the Midwich Cuckoo's. That was the novel on which Village Of The Damned was based. There where in fact 3 movies based on the novel. The original Village Of The Damned. Scariest and best. Children Of The Damned 1962 and John Carpenters 1995 version again called Village Of The Damned. The novel was written by a British science fiction author called John Wyndham. The original 1960 movie is set in a somnolent little fictitious English village called Midwich. All the women of childbearing age become inexplicably pregnant and give birth to ultra weird children. I won't elaborate any more in case you should ever watch it.
Great review, I recommend another Mia Farrow movie called haunting of julia. Another excellent film I don't see reviewed enough is the hanging at picnic Rock
Love Ruth Gordon!
🌹❤️🌹❤️🌹❤️
This is a common story in Hollywood. You don't become famous without giving them something in return.
Christopher Komeda'swho wrote the music real name is Krzysztof Komeda. He was Pole like Roman Polański (he died in 1969). He wrote music for only 3 foreign movies, incuding "Dance of the Vampires" by Roman Polański.
Movies nowadays are much more of an editor's medium for the sake of cuts, back then it was the director and actors' medium.
I suggest you watch the following films:
my little princess 2011
Look Away, 2018
Brimstone 2016
Girl in the Basement 2021
Compliance, 2012
Miss Violence 2013
Hounddog 2007
I really enjoyed your reactions to this movie. And I like the Vegas uthey used to take from it. I would love to see you critique, the fearless vampire killers. It's another Roman Polanski movie and in fact, he. Is in the movie. I think you would really like it. It's kind of a dark comedy
So the movie is exactly about being a woman. I mean even the haircut is important in the movie. He lambaste her for not having a "womanly" haircut. It's also like, natural for women to have babies and in this movie she basically had no say in the impregnation (sexual assault), how to do things, doctors telling her what's best. When she does try to tell somebody exactly her experience she's told she's crazy. Guy is named "GUY" and you're suppose to like him so you too feel the betrayal he does. Basically, she's being told the entire time to not trust her judgement as a woman and to listen to what everybody else is telling her. I would consider it more of a thriller than a horror and yes, I feel anxious at times as you want to help her but all you can do is watch and you're like, "RUN ROSEMARY, RUUUUUN!" Basically things women experience and are told they're stupid and wrong for thinking that.
John Casavettes was also a very interesting movie director. He is considered the Godfather of the Indie Movie world.
The book and movie doesn't get into Guy's head, but human nature tells me that maybe Guy didn't get into the coven willingly or take it seriously until it was too late. It's awfully easy to imagine Guy saying "You can do what?" And thinking,"Sure. Okay... I'll play along with them. Maybe we'll get some free meals out of them."
And then his rival goes blind immediately and Guy thinks "Holy Shit!!!! They really CAN do shit like this!! Maybe I'd better play along and give them what they want or they'll kill us both! And we'll get rich if we just sacrifice a baby. And if we don't we'll end up like Terry."
Guy never says either way but it COULD be true. Like I said, human nature says he'd probably play along at first until he gets the part and then he'd be terrified of killing himself and his wife if he didn't keep his end of the bargain.
Generic jump scare, violent horror films have never been my bag and dont scare me. But religious horror with amazingly built tension are terrifiying to me. And they are the far superior type of horror film
The first thing you see going in the theater is the poster. it reads "Pray for. Rosemary's Baby". I read the book first, it was a best seller. I did it in one sitting. The movie was faithful to the novel. Beautiful acting. Ruth Gordon took best supporting actress . box office success.
This film was very good. You should watch European films from 50-70s. I recommend Fellini. La Strada and so on especially La Dolce Vita, 8½ and Amarcord sequentially.
Ira Levin, Roman Polanski. You need to react to the original 1975 Stepford Wives based on a Ira Levin novel and the 1988 Polanski directed movie Frantic featuring Harrison Ford. It has a very Hitchcock feel to it.
green is symbolism for sulphur, which has to do with evil presence.
Maybe look at Polanski's The Tenant?
Remember the new years eve party the year turned to 1966, and I do believe Rosemary's baby was born in June, making it 666.
Roman Polanski did Rosemary Baby he also did my fav horror movie called
The Ninth gate
Starring Johnny Depp
Can you please react to it plz
Please
Just watched your video and it was excellent. This is a true horror movie, not some safe scary roller coaster, comfort food movie where you can get cheap thrills and jumps and when it's over, it's over. No, Polanski begins tightening the screws and just keeps tightening them with no relief. You hate seeing what's happening but you can't look away because the damned thing is so smart and well-made and compelling AND you feel Polanski's intelligence in every frame. The Omen was Hollywood horror, but Polanski is so far above that it's incredible. ALL of his movies are like that. If the Manson murders of his wife and unborn child hadn't unhinged his personal life, he would have stayed in America and been crowned for what he is: the greatest living director in the world. I mean, guys like Hitchcock can't carry his shadow. Kubrick and Tarantino either. Howard Hawks is my favorite director but his style is so radically different that you really can't compare the two.
In Europe a lot of critics labelled this a Social Comedy, which it could be considered. The genre is real enough but it doesn't mean it's a laugh out loud kind of comedy; Social Comedies look at society and human nature and exaggerate them to the point of Absurdity. Get Out, Funny Games, the Stepford Wives, Mother!, and 1938's Holiday are all Social Comedies and some are downright frightening to me, especially Funny Games, about a home invasion, with Naomi Watts and Tim Roth. Polanski kept RB vague enough to fit a lot of theories and he's never commented on what his true intentions were. He knows that would end the speculation.
But as a Holocaust survivor claustrophobia and paranoia and the feeling of being trapped are his big fears and themes, understandably so. He lost nearly all his family to the death camps and barely escaped himself, so the feeling of no way out is paramount to him. Just the idea of jail drove him to leave the country. And then look at the Manson murders. Only dumb luck kept him from meeting the same fate as his wife.
This movie functions on many levels; it's not "trapped" into being one thing. Yes it's about the treatment of women, about mental illness/delusional thinking, about the silliness of horror movies, about the establishment vs. the counter-culture, and of course it's about Satan being the father of Rosemary's Baby. And parts of it ARE genuinely funny: Minnie, Laura Louise, and Sidney Blackmer all have moments you'd expect to see on a sitcom rather than a horror film. Minnie to Roman: "sometimes I wonder how you're the leader of ANYTHING!" A henpecked devil worshipper. Now that IS funny.
I love your reactions and reviews. Please do the fantastic, Evil Under the Sun (1982).
Mildred Pierce should be next
Filmed at the Dakota apartment building, where John Lennon lived, and was murdered.
Part 3. Guy doesn't touch her once the devil's had her. He's scared to. And of course the scratches meant he had to come up with some plausible story. He had to pretend to have had sex the her so the pregnancy wouldn't be a shock.
And over it all was the possibility of Rosemary as an unreliable narrator. Not even the baby's eyes are shown. She could be crazy. And where's her family? Why aren't her parents or his not involved?
Overseas this movie was a social comedy, like Dr. Strangelove. And Ruth Gordon and John Cassavetes played it that way, broad and over the top. Even Farrow was too innocent. But since it hit at face value, Polanski had to wait decades before revealing what Europe already knew.
And I wouldn't wait a year to watch a movie I really wanted to watch. I'm sure you didn't either. Come on, the whole 'first time watching' thing is a gentleman's agreement not to talk about the stuff we know about, like professional wrestling or musical theater.
The apartment building used, the Dakota, is where John Lennon was shot.
i love this movie! mia farrow is a favorite. scariest part for me had to be the dream sex sequence. all these dream analogies so you think its not happening. then she says "This is really happening!" and they cover her face, hard cut. CHILLS.
I remember watching this movie when I was 13 years old or something like that. Way back in like 1984. Yes I'm old LOL. I remember that it really put the heebie-jeebies in me. Especially the ending. Just so creepy. I would say that the Holy Trinity of scary movies having to do with the devil are #1 The Exorcist #2 The Omen #3 Rosemary's Danish, hmmm, i mean Baby! 😂 The rest are only Pretenders to the throne of these 3 classics. After 53 years on this rock I can confidently tell you that I am an atheist. All of this s*** is b*******. People who believe in any of this stuff have the IQ of an onion. Religion is nothing but a system of control. But anyhow, enough of my yapping. Cool reaction, love your show, I subscribed. Take care bro.
This is one of those deranged movies to me. Like a level of creepy that rivals Stanley Kubrick. When I think about it, this movie sets the stage for films like Hereditary
Mia Farrow is the voice of the unicorn, in the animated movie The Last Unicorn. You should react to it.
Yes they drugged her with the chocolate mousse. That's why there was an under taste.
Also I'm pretty sure this is before the knowledge of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome & the dangers of drinking while pregnant.
Also Rosemary's biggest mistake in this, besides being too nice & too trusting, & not assertive enough, is telling Guy & others what she's thinking, & what she's going to do before she does it.
Roman Polanski is a very "interesting" character who has always dabbled with the diabolic, and macabre occult themes, some say this film reveals a bit of autobiographical details in the "deal with the devil" as a prerequisite for worldly success especially as it pertains to showbiz and hellywood. Consider the sad fate of his wife Sharon Tate and their unborn child.
Great thriller 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
All your points about oppression of women are good ones. The movie is also a comment on the metaphorical “death of God”, the rise of the cult of the expert, and the medicalization of natural processes like childbearing. With its Manhattan locations, the central character (a lapsed Catholic) appears, at first, to be living a fashionable dreamlike existence. But then, in one of the greatest hubs of civilization that’s ever existed, finds that she is in a primitive, spiritually hollow wilderness, alone among crowds. The character most recognizably scary to me is Dr. Sapperstein-dangerous, in large part, because he is a respected expert who can expect his lies to always be believed. I think he simply fools the other doctor, who means well. That other doctor is played by a then-unknown Charles Grodin, who went on to a career of mostly comic roles, before becoming a TV talk-show host. Sapperstein, of course, is played by the accomplished actor, Ralph Bellamy, who played FDR in Sunrise at Campobello.
I love the way the principle antagonists, Minnie and Roman, hide in omnipresent plain sight. Minnie, in particular, is so obnoxious that no one sees what she’s up to because people who find her annoying are too busy trying to look away from her.
The interior and exterior apartment-house scenes were shot at The Dakota, at W. 72nd St. and Central Park West, home of many celebrities, including Yoko Ono and, until his murder, John Lennon. Lennon was shot to death in front of the building entrance that’s shown at the beginning of the movie. The Imagine mosaic and Strawberry Fields garden (named for the Lennon-penned Beatles song, which references a park in Liverpool) are now just inside Central Park, near the building.
Polanski wanted Robert Redford.
Aaah! Guess who
This movie pissed me off so bad!
when this movie came out there was also charles manson and anton lavey
i guess your next movie should be THE EXORCISM
It's interesting that you brought up "womanhood". I've never thought of that angle per se. Now that I do, I see an interesting opposite perspective on masculinity. The fact that Rosemary's husband becomes a willing partner with the those with power is very much a statement of masculine complicity for the sake of power. He had absolutely no moral qualms about making a deal with the devil for material gains. In fact, he still rationalizes it to Rosemary in the same room as the now born demon baby. I see it as a statement on how easy man is to seduce even it's crazy and psycho people doing the seduction. These weren't the typical sexy voluptuous woman seducing a man into doing something that you frequently see in films. These were ugly old trolls seducing him against his own wife and it was just as easy. Whereas Rosemary ultimately loses in the end, at least she tried to fight it. Her husband immediately bought into the evil w the promise of "big dick" power and status. I think that correlation is an equally apt statement on masculinity that we see all of the time.
You should have gone red for your color scheme.
Major fail on your part
She is religious.
He made the movie in nyc at the same time as his wife Sharon Tate was cut to pieces by the Manson Family🎃
Manson murders- August 1969; Rosemary’s Baby filming began in August 1967
You are cute.
One of the most overrated movies of all time!
There is also a tv movie sequel Whatever Happened to Rosemary's Baby without Mia Farrow but substituting Oscar winner Patty Duke but with Oscar winner Ruth Gordon from the original. You get the feeling Rosemary's Baby inspired the the book and horror film The Sentinel. John Cassavetes would be in the horror film The Fury directed by Brian Depalma of Carrie(1976) His son Nick is a Director, Writer, and Actor. Author Ira Levin wrote the sequel Son of Rosemary. Mia was married to Frank Sinatra at the time who did not want her to do the RB but she was told she had a chance at the Best Actress Oscar. Frank had powerful friends in the Academy plus people were afraid of his mob connections so she was not even nominated. Ira Levin wrote the fantastic book The Stepford Wives controversial film with Katherine Ross(1975) which remade with Nicole Kidman and Bette Midler in 2004.
This would have definitely been considered scary horror to audiences of the late 60s, even more so for women who were living through a pre-roe v. wade time period, where women’s choices over their bodies, lives and finances were legally under the control of either their husband or father.
Repulsion (1965) is another amazing film directed by RP that also revolves around similar themes, it has quite a bit more ‘horror’ in it as well !