We live in an era these days where thriller and horror are considered synonyms of action-packed films full of special effects, blood, disgusting scenes of violence and a permanent race by the main characters running away from some sort of monster or out of control gigantic threat. Of course there are exceptions to this trend, but it is still the case that most movies in these genres can be easily described this way. Rosemary's Baby, on the other hand, belongs in a completely different category. It's right up there with Hithcock's masterpieces. Roman Polanski manages to keep us on the edge without resorting to those easy tricks that are such a common currency these days.

Rosemary's Baby tells us the story of a young woman (Rosemary Woodhouse) and her husband who move into a new apartment in New York and become friends of an old couple (Roman and Minnie Castevet). Rosemary's husband, Guy, begins to spend a lot of time with the neighbors and strange things start to happen. After Rosemary becomes pregnant, things seem to get worse and worse, and she suspects that everybody in the building is planning something horrible for her future child. The atmosphere becomes more and more oppressive, but it is never clear whether all this is truly happening or it is perhaps in Rosemary's sick mind. The neighbors, the doctor, even her husband explain that she is under a lot of stress as a consequence of the move and the pregnancy, and even the viewers tend to agree at times. Yet, there is something weird in the atmosphere, which becomes heavier and heavier. Perhaps Rosemary is right after all, perhaps they are all plotting to kidnap and kill the newly born baby. This is where Polanski excels. It is not only Rosemary who feels all this on the screen. It is all of us viewing the movie who cannot stand the knot in our stomachs anymore, and he manages to accomplish this without showing any special effects, blood or frenetic escapes. It is just in the story, the images, the silence, the acting, like in the real classics. Even little things, such as Rosemary's new haircut, contribute to this eery atmosphere so masterfully built by the director.

Guy Woodhouse: What the hell is that?
Rosemary Woodhouse: I've been to Vidal Sassoon.
Guy Woodhouse: You mean you actually paid for it?

The story is so well laid out that even as we see Rosemary's health getting worse and worse during her pregnancy, we feel alleviated with her when the doctor explains that there is absolutely nothing wrong. Yet, we also suspect (as she does) that the doctor is not telling the truth and Minnie's juices that supposedly improve the health of the unborn may be to blame... but why? Why would she even do this? And why would a doctor plot with her neighbor to lie to her? What is going on here? We do not know for sure either, but we cannot help it but to agree with her friend when he sees her for the first time after many months.

Edward "Hutch" Hutchins: Pregnant women are supposed to gain, not lose weight!

To make matters worse, Hutch quickly falls in a comma as a consequence of a strange accident although not before he can leave some traces that Rosemary can follow to disentangle the whole story. A story that will confirm her worst suspicions, although right until the end she is still mistaken about the true intentions of the plotting neighbors. But Rosemary's Baby still has another surprise for us, and one that is full of significance and deep meaning. Even after Rosemary discovers what she gave birth to, she cannot help but to understand that she still is, no matter what, the mother of the creature.

Roman Castevet: Rock him, my dear.
Rosemary Woodhouse: Are you trying to get me to be his mother?
Roman Castevet: Aren't you his mother?

An end that cannot be more atypical for Hollywood. There is no sense of closure, no clear picture of where things go from here... and the good guys, far from winning, are now in trouble with the arrival of Satan to earth. At the same time, it is also a very human end, an end that is willing to understand the weakness intrinsic in our own souls. Rosemary, when faced with the prospect of killing her own son, seems to prefer to accept him as he is, even though it is Satan himself.

Rosemary's Baby comes to redefine the genre of Gothic horror, opening up the doors to movies like The Omen or The Exorcist that so popular would become in the late seventies. And it manages to do all this in style, which is something that we cannot say too often of contemporary movies.

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Entertainment factor:7/10
Artistic factor:8/10

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