Rosemary's Baby

Levin's source material is famously well-drawn, apart from the slowly (but from a certain point onwards very intensely) escalating tension and unpredictability of the various characters, and – most importantly – the character of Rosemary is portrayed in such a sensitive and evocative way that identifying with her person, her suffering, and her fate must necessarily become an essential part of the overall experience (both of the book and the film, as Mia Farrow is wonderful under Polanski's direction). All the positives as I described them above are more or less successfully transferred to the film rendering (with excellent incidental music to boot), and at least in the first hour Polanski succeeds more than adequately in capturing the power of the atmosphere as depicted in the book (the first scene during Rosemary's dream is unforgettable.) But then it breaks somewhere (I can't pinpoint exactly where in the film), and what Levin managed to do in the novel (i.e. to keep a permanent sense of tension and uncertainty) doesn't strike me as credible in Polanski's rendition (of course, I'm very influenced by the book and its quality, but given the excellent first half of the film, my expectations were quite high afterwards) and the ending... Sure, it's the same as in the source material, but the overall odyssey to it and the final denouement just wasn't handled quite ideally, and honestly I was rather disappointed... However, as a whole, it's a very strong 4 stars somewhere in the 90% range. :) (24/11/2010)

Except for the last ten minutes, a masterpiece, brilliant in the way it confuses the viewer and encourages them to interpret the story in their own way. You can take it as a thoroughbred satanic horror film or, on the contrary, as a psychological drama of a woman gradually sinking into her paranoia, and Polanski's thoughtful direction doesn't make it any easier. On the contrary, thanks to many clever hints that can be interpreted in multiple ways, it builds the same sense of insecurity and paranoia in the viewer themselves. Unfortunately I have to agree with some of the reviews here that the ending is unsatisfying, it was a terrible disappointment for me. The cards are laid on the table all too clearly, everything is explained in a half-hearted manner and the wonderful atmosphere of uncertainty and suspicion falls to dust. If Polanski had left it open at the end, in the more ambiguous level of the whole narrative, I wouldn't have hesitated a second with the maximum rating. Such a shame. (17/02/2008)

The main thing I appreciate about the whole Rosemary phenomenon is that Polanski's adaptation was made so soon after Levin's book was published. This preserved the authentic atmosphere of the story. However, with Levin, it is a joy to wade through the marginalia of the lives of the various people in the house and the vicissitudes of Rosemary and Guy's young marriage. The full spontaneous paranoia comes into play only in the final part of the book, and until then the reader might think that this is just an ordinary idyll written for the purposes of social criticism. The final whirlwind then completely changes the literary genre and the book cannot be put down until the last page. The film is more so enchanted by Levine's text and doesn't fundamentally change anything. The only thing I missed in the film was the chapter about Rosemary's defiance in which Hutch lends her a car and a cottage so she can think about whether she'll continue to stay with Guy. In this way, Rosemary, played by Mia Farrow, remains a much flatter character, which is quite a shame. And with her new hairstyle, she loses all her charm, but that's perfectly fine. (22/11/2012)

Excellent performances, music and direction, but it’s only around the middle that it gets a proper atmosphere, up until then it’s a pretty ordinary drama. The second half, however, is a brilliant portrayal of paranoia (similar to The Tenant, Polanski knows his stuff), but unfortunately it’s somewhat devalued by the overly literal ending, which may convey the idea of the relationship of mother and child, but at the cost of the atmosphere. Overall, though, Rosemary’s Baby is very good. (14/11/2008)

Rosemary’s Baby offers suspense that is masterfully built up millimeter by millimeter in the space of a single apartment, superbly eliciting a feeling of anxiety and paranoia. Roman Polanski himself is a devil for putting such a sensitive woman under such pressure, especially at the most sensitive time of her life. But as an avid viewer, I can only approve of him and, at the same time, bow down before Mia Farrow and her brilliant acting performance. The only thing that bothers me a bit about this film is the unsatisfying ending. (26/08/2004)