Rosemary’s Baby (1968) is a realistic horror film with bouts of prolonged suspense. The film is directed by Roman Polanski, an internationally known Polish director known for his work debuts in France, USA, Britain, and Poland. He was able to construct an elaborate grouping of concepts and motifs into a two hour and seventeen-minute film. Regrettably, Polanski has avoided multiple charges of rape by fleeing to France where he continues to create films and grow his career and accolades. Polanski has been accused by multiple women, all stating that he raped them as a child. In 1979, he pled guilty to the statutory rape and sodomy of 13-year-old Samantha Geimer, but fled before sentencing. Marianne Bernard, the fifth woman to come forward and accuse Polanski, created a petition with the goal of removing him from the Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. She succeeded with over 20,000 signatures. Requests for extradition have been made but an extremely corrupt process seems to be at play where Polanski is protected from the consequences of his actions.
Calls for extradition and run-ins with immigration haven’t been enough. In 2009, Polanski received a lifetime achievement award in Zurich, Switzerland. When placed into custody, he made bail and received house arrest in his chalet home, doesn’t sound like much of a punishment to me. Polanski seems to have a different definition of what qualifies as punishment. He stated “As far as what I did: It’s over. I pleaded guilty. I went to jail. I came back to the United States to do it, people forget about that, or don’t even know. I then was locked up here [in Zurich] after this festival. So in the sum, I did about four or five times more than what was promised to me.” The pedophilic behavior and objectification of little girls is present in Polanski ’s actions and words. He admit, without shame, that “Judges want to fuck young girls. Juries want to fuck young girls — everyone wants to fuck young girls.” Which, that quote in itself is incredibly disturbing and hints at predatory behavior. He views teenage girls as fully grown woman capable of understanding what goes on in the bedroom, which isn’t the case. I should note that this piece of analysis is strictly on the art of the film itself and my opinion of Polanski’s questionable morals is separate from my feeling toward the film.
Based on the novel written by Ira Levin, published in 1967, Polanksi established a screenplay adaptation and was nominated for an Oscar for Best Writing, a Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium. The film is centered around a satanic plot involving rape, forced birth, and the subjugation of the female body and the female experience.
The subject matter of women’s bodily anatomy and freedom of choice is present throughout. Rosemary is not offered any choice throughout her pregnancy. She experiences denial of choice and is shielded from information necessary to keep her and her baby safe. She is clearly involved in a distressing situation and feels as if she can’t say no. Those around her treat her as if she can’t make decisions and therefore, force her to go through with actions she normally wouldn’t do herself. The submissive personality Rosemary possesses, regrettably allows the patriarchal hold on her to be manipulated more easily.
The theme of female oppression and lack of autonomy is present throughout Rosemary’s pregnancy. The Castevets and Guy, her husband, assume a position of control over what she eats, drinks, and what doctor to see. Unfortunately, no savior appears, she is compelled to motherly instinct and accept her baby as Satan’s spawn. The possibility of escape does not exist in this version of Satan’s world. Additionally, the matter of rape, greed, and egomania is brought into the film embodied as Guy.
Mr. Castevet offers Guy a better chance at acting roles and promises him career success, only if he agrees to go along with his plan. The plan involved coercing Rosemary to carry Satan’s child (without her knowing). A rape scene occurs where she is drugged and raped by Satan. Minnie Castevet and Guy’s voices can be heard in the background questioning whether Rosemary is able to see them due to the strength of the drugs side effects. The morning after, scratches appear over Rosemary’s body. Guy explains it away as an act of him having sex with her unconscious body, which constitures as rape and sexual violence. He falsely admits to having sex with her unconscious body, but it’s normalized if it’s your husband, right? Unfortunately, in this film it is. Another major contribution to the patriarchal theme is the male doctors silencing the fear and natural worried thoughts that come along with motherhood.
Her pregnancy pains are not taken seriously, and she is refused pain medication, furthering the male agenda. Dr. Saperstein shames Rosemary for reading a pregnancy book, an activity that any normal mother would consider doing. Her autonomy is taken away from her for fear that she will find out the truth and for fear of other influencing opinions. A horror realism approach seems to be the direction Polanski aimed for. He plays with the dread that most women experience during pregnancy, the terrifying thought that something may be wrong with the baby.
The film plays upon shock, terror, suspense, and the perfect timing of planned events. Events such as moving into the apartment, the dinner invitation from the Castevets, Guy’s desperation for acting gigs, and the announcement of the pregnancy all point toward an unlucky demise. Overall, the audience is given clues to the Castevets identity and indicate the foreboding aura they emanate. Signs of bad luck surround the couple, for instance, the young woman who fell out of the window at the beginning of the movie along with the pendant necklace.
A naive, first time mother is taken advantage of by everyone around her and she is unaware of the consequences of carrying Satan’s child. Even more concerning, her husband knowingly participates in the plan to allow Satan to rape his wife and letting her believe the baby is his. In the last scene, Rosemary must confront the fact that her husband had done something sinister and heinous. Guy’s ego and need for career success had been placed above the care of his pregnant wife. Exploring that sense of betrayal should have been touched upon more towards the end. A heated conversation or a disagreement between Rosemary and Guy, addressing the fact that he botched their relationship would have added closure.
Casting choices were impressive. Mia Farrow’s girlish and doe-eyed look helped to establish Rosemary’s innocence. Minnie’s makeup choices made her look slightly intrusive, repulsive, and unattractive, like her character. As the pregnancy progresses, Mia Farrow is made to look pale, sick, and paper-thin. As her health declines, it can be assumed that the fetus is slowly destroying her. The contrast from Rosemary’s initial appearance to her hauntingly sick demeanor depicts the toll Satan has taken on her. The short pixie cut she sports in the film could be the turning point where she asserts herself more. After the haircut, she starts to mention her feelings of pain and worry. One of the only decisions she makes is her haircut, which can be interpreted as a new sense of assertiveness.
A debut film about the Antichrist in the late 1960s seemed to be an original move by Polanski especially since most of the public felt uneasy about a topic like that. Unfortunately, tragedy ensued during filming and post production. The producer of the film, William Castle, received a multitude of death threats for agreeing to make the film; he later died of a stroke at age 63. The head of production, Robert Evans, was accused of murder and suffered three strokes during filming. Whether it’s a curse or bad karma is unknown but it raises some concern.
During the 1960s, a new wave of progressive liberalism took place. Newer and more radical political ideologies had begun to re-mold religious attitudes. The urban and racial crises, along with governmental affairs during Vietnam were underlying catalysts of change toward the move to a more collective and progressive society. For example, womens and gay activism began in churches around 1968, the same year as Rosemary’s Baby. The timing of the film debut seems to be just right with the dramatic adjustment of change. However, there was still a remaining sense of fear and judgment of anything relating to the devil.
“Satanism is a modern, largely non-theistic religion based on literary, artistic and philosophical interpretations of the central figure of evil.” Modern satanism especially, can be described as the belief in the absence of a god or multiple gods. Satan is described as having a horned, red figure. There are many interpretations of his name, in the New Testament he is the embodiment of everything that is wicked and unholy. Anton LeVay, the founder of the Church of Satan, established in 1968, was a musician and a carnival worker. He immersed himself in the learnings of occult practices and rejected tradition.
The Church of Satan had regular meetings that consisted of ritual-based practices and LeVay encouraged his followers to obey the law but to indulge in pleasures if it did not harm others. Since then, the Church of Satan has grown and diversified in practices and denominations. Today, those who label themselves as Satanists claim they don’t believe in an evil or demonic form but align themselves with the term Atheistic Satanism. This term can be defined as the lack of faith or belief in the existence of a God or Satan. In his presentation of Satanism, LeVay proposed what is known as the Nine Satanic Statements:
Satan represents indulgence instead of abstinence.
Satan represents vital existence instead of spiritual pipe dreams.
Satan represents undefiled wisdom instead of hypocritical self-deceit.
Satan represents vengeance instead of turning the other cheek.
Satan represents responsibility to the responsible instead of concern for psychic vampires.
Satan represents man as just another animal who, because of his “divine spiritual and intellectual development” has become the most vicious animal of all.
Satan represents all of the so-called sins, as they lead to physical, mental, or emotional gratification.
Satan has been the best friend the church has ever had, as he has kept it in business these years.
With the coming of age of more contemporary views and the shackles of conventional religion loosening, Rosemary’s Baby was released at the most convenient time. There was enough stupefaction for a reaction and enough of a new wave of progressiveness for there to be somewhat of an acceptance.
Circling back to the analysis of Rosemary’s Baby, it’s clear it has captured modernized religion, pregnancy, and somehow merges them together. All concepts in the film are very real which is why the film can be classified as a horror realism piece. The lack of special effects, besides the shot of Satan’s eyes, gives the film another layer of truthfulness to it. There are no excessive horror shots with images of Satan plastering the screen but rather, it depicts a real couple, in the real world, dealing with the horrific consequences of others’ cruel actions.
The only special effect shown is Satan’s yellow eyes and upper face. Polanski’s choice to only show that portion was a good one. If the audience were shown the full body, it would have created a visceral reaction, there was never a need to show Satan in his full form. Showing only Rosemary’s point of view during the rape scene created a frightening feeling, it’s as if the viewer is underneath Satan himself. Long shots are used during the film to show the continuous story as it is without any fragmented parts. Not only are long shots used but shots mainly from Rosemary’s perspective because she is the person under subjection. If shots of the Castevets or Guy had been used, the film would have felt less frantic because those were the characters in control.
In addition to shot choices, a careful color palette was chosen. Playful and girlish colors appear in Rosemary’s clothing choices. They help to depict her as a young and naive girl with a sense of innocence. As the film progresses, we see a few outfits of hers in red and later, more of a blue palette which can be interpreted as innocent and pure, most likely trying to emulate the Virgin Mary. Polanksi’s unique use of bright colors in subtle ways helped to set the tone of the film. For example, the intro appears with bright pink fancy lettering, giving a whimsical and feminine sensation. Hints of red can be seen in the film with the roses Guy gives Rosemary, Roman’s attire, and Rosemary’s pantsuit the night of the rape. Red typically symbolizes a warning or danger. Red also tends to evoke anxiety and fear in the spectator.
The pale and neutral colors of yellows, whites, and creams are an introduction to Rosemary. When looking for apartments, the couple stumbles upon the apartment adjacent to Minnie and Roman’s. Shortly after buying the apartment, the dark interior develops into a light, open, and welcoming living space. The entire space seems to be engulfed in shades of pale yellow. Rosemary embodies yellow, young and wholesome. The color changes that materialize in Rosemary’s clothing signify an ever-growing defenseless character. As she enters the Castevets home, her last wardrobe change is seen. Her night gown is pale blue and distinctively lighter than the others in the room. As she approaches the baby’s crib, which is a deep black, we see the dissonance of mother and son, or mother and Antichrist.
Sexism, feminism, modernized religion, fear of religion, and the reality of womanhood are covered in the film. Overall, the impression the film gives is alarming and concrete. Indications of color and shots are used for impact and influence how the viewer feels. The making of this film was a brave and unconventional decision made by Polanski. Rosemary’s Baby is considered, at least in my opinion, one of the greatest horror films. The plot is strong throughout and the interlacing of characters’ lives is engaging. If a director can showcase their goals and intentions throughout the whole of his or her film, they have created a successful film.
References
Burton, Jonathan. “Rosemary’s Baby by Jonathan Burton.” Alternative Movie Posters , alternativemovieposters.com/amp/rosemarys-baby-jonathan-burton/.
Grady, Constance. “Roman Polanski Is Now Facing a 5th Accusation of Sexual Assault against a Child.” Vox, Vox, 17 Aug. 2017, www.vox.com/culture/2017/8/17/16156902/roman-polanski-child-rape- charges-explained-samantha-geimer-robin-m.
History.com Editors. “Satanism.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 27 Sept. 2019, www.history.com/topics/1960s/satanism.
Laverty, Christopher, et al. Clothes on Film, Christopher Laverty, 8 Jan. 2010, clothesonfilm.com/double-feature-rosemarys-baby-kbs-thoughts/.
https://www.thepetitionsite.com/520/798/296/roman-polanski-sexually-abused-me-when-i-was- 10.-the-oscars-must-denounce-him/
Toobin, Jeffrey. “The Celebrity Defense.” The New Yorker, 6 Dec. 2009, www.newyorker.com/magazine/2009/12/14/the-celebrity-defense.
Stefon, Matt. “Anton LaVey”. Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Apr. 2021, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Anton-LaVey.
