Rosemary's Baby (The Criterion Collection) (1968)

Rosemary's Baby is my favorite horror film of all time. Its got it all: a genius director, marvelous actors, a haunting tale, spooky neighbors, dastardly witches, and, of course, Satan. The film revolves around a young woman named Rosemary Woodhouse. Rosemary and her husband are expecting a child. But Rosemary doesn't look so good. Rosemary is starting to believe that she has been impregnated by evil itself, and everyone she knows might be in on it. As a thriller it works on a level Hitchcock only hinted at. Its a film that surpasses masterpiece and classic, and rests snug atop the terrain of legend.

It was once a venial sin to watch this film, condemned by the Catholic Church and the Legion Of Decency, now you can own it in glorious High-Definition, with a genial satisfaction only Criterion could bestow.

This film only gets creepier and creepier with time. There are several different ways to watch this film. And this film, in turn, tries to tell us many several different things. As film scholar David J. Skal points out in his fantastic book 'The Monster Show':

"Whether Levin's strategy was conscious or not, the plot of Rosemary's Baby was a brilliant metaphorical distillation of the widespread ambivalence and anxiety over sex and reproduction, concerns overshadowed by the garish glare of the swinging sixties. On a simplistic level, both Rosemary and the reader share lingering doubts about the chemical-occult tinkering of their reproductive systems. Rosemary drinks the stinking tannis-root cocktail that her neighbor provides while the reader(likely) swallows the magic candy of birth-control pills. Neither has a deep understanding of the effects of either substance on their bodies and their lives; they rely trustingly on patriarchal authority. Rosemary Woodhouse is led repeatedly to believe she is making her own carefully considered reproductive choices, but the decisions are all being made for her. No matter what assurances are offered, no matter what charms and preparations she uses or ingests, she is not really safe. One of the many indelible images in the film version of Rosemary's Baby is the pregnant but wasted-looking Mia Farrow dashing out against the light into midtown traffic, an apt metaphor for child-bearing under socio-technological seige."

Roman Polanski is my favorite living Director. He is without a doubt the most cathartic of any, living or dead, and damn near the most personal. To think that just one year after making Rosemary's Baby, tragedy would strike his home, wife, and child, is far too horrifying a concept to accept as reality. Polanski fought back with films like Macbeth and Chinatown, both are nothing short of cinematic exorcisms; Polanski fighting off his demons. His films are usually deeply personal, and Rosemary's Baby is no exception.

Another one of my personal heroes had a hand in the creation of Rosemary's Baby.

John Cassavetes gives an outrageously good performance as Rosemary's husband, Guy Woodhouse. The performance Cassavetes lays down gets better and better, and more and more complex the more you watch the film. Mia Farrow is the obvious force to be reckoned with here, but Cassavetes' performance is quickly overshadowing her's for me. Its a performance of subtlety and nuance. Each look, motion, action, pause, and word takes on different meanings after repeated viewings. Sadly, Cassavetes and Polanski hated each other. Polanski has gone on record discrediting Cassavetes' abilities as not only an actor, but as a filmmaker. And Cassavetes can be quoted as saying, "You can't dispute the fact he's an artist, but yet you have to say Rosemary's Baby is not art". The two nearly came to blows, and by the end of production had grown loathsome of each other. But you could've fooled me. It seems as if everyone involved with this film were in tune with each other, in perfect sync.

What Mia Farrow does in this film is indescribable. You'll be hard-pressed to find a more empathetic portrayal of a damsel in distress. I felt all of her fears, and shared more than just basic emotions. Mia Farrow had the ability to communicate feelings effortlessly on film, a very rare and unique gift that Polanski skillfully manipulates and fine-tunes. Not only a great performance but an iconic one. "What have you done to its eyes" will stay with me forever.

It is a truly mystifying picture. Its impossible to not feel Rosemary's paranoia, or even question her sanity, or your logic. Atmospheric and isolated at the same time, this film will play with your sensibilities. If you have not seen it, I highly recommend this one. This is a film that should not be missed by anyone. It is just that good.

And this Blu-Ray Edition is stellar. The picture is very good, and what we've come to expect from Criterion: Quality Above All Else. The colors are very impressive. When compared to the previous DVD release, the picture is a Godsend. The sound is even better. Krzyzstof Komeda's score has never sounded better. Its as if this was my very first time actually hearing it. It was a wonderful experience.

The supplements, in my honest opinion, could have included a little bit more red meat. The disc includes an Interview with Author Ira Levin from 1997, a feature length documentary about the composer of the picture, and the best stuff collected by Criterion: the new interviews with Roman Polanski, Robert Evans, and Mia Farrow herself, I can see myself watching these many times over. But, not to gripe with a next to perfect release of my favorite film, it could have easily included a commentary track. Or the Vintage Behind The Scenes Feature available on the previous DVD release. I guess Criterion just didn't feel like going all out with this one, which is sad for me, I just can't get enough of this one.

Regardless of how I feel about the bonus features, the movie LOOKS and SOUNDS great. Thank you Criterion a million times over! If you're a fan of the film, DO NOT HESITATE. Its worth the upgrade, its worth the cost, and you'll love the product!

Traditionally, this has been my favorite movie and probably holds that position for the longest amount of time. Over the years, other films have come and gone and even some of Polanski's other films have stolen the top spot. I admire his entire body of work, but after viewing the BD version of this film there is no doubt that once again Rosemary's Baby is definitely my favorite Polanski film.

The BD quality of this disc manages to still retain the gritty look of the original film print while delivering a significant improvement from previous DVD transfers. The problem with many BDs these days is that some of the essence is lost. It all looks digital now. Everything is too sharp, too crisp, too "perfect" but with this transfer, you can still see film grain, slight imperfections in sharpness that give a resonating feeling of uneasiness and perhaps a vintage sort of rustic quality. Another great improvement is the richness and depths of the colors and contrast of the film. Some of the "blooming" effects of overexposure are minimized. More details can be picked up. The nuances of the wallpaper, the trinkets in the Castavet's house, the chunks of tanis root. This film is brilliant!

The supplemental documentary offers interviews with Farrow, Polanski, and Evans. This is different from the Paramount DVD, some of the same content is included, some is left out, but there is plenty more that has been added. I have read many books on Polanski, interviews, and different essays on the film and still have been given new insight into the film and what went into it. A very worthwhile supplement, indeed. The other is a bit about long time collaborator who did the score, and yet another with the author of the book Ira Levin.

If you have never seen this film, it is what I would consider a genuine horror movie. It easily trumps anything that has come out in the past decade (or two) and is absolutely the most terrifying film I have seen. This is psychological horror that will leave you most uncomfortable even long after leaving the theater. What you won't find is BOO! (laugh) repeat. The Exorcist and The Omen are other good examples of this "genuine horror" I speak of, but Rosemary's Baby is still absolutely the best of the three.

If you HAVE seen this film before and enjoy it, the upgrade is well worth it.

Buy Rosemary's Baby (The Criterion Collection) (1968) Now

No great special effects, no buckets of blood, hell not even jump out of your seat scares, really. So after reading that sentence you might say, "What's the point of watching a horror movie if all that is true?". Oh, dear friend, a horror movie can have so much more then just blood and cheap scares.

Rosemary's Baby is the type of horror that creepys up on you bit by bit, you start to piece everything together, you start to feel, yes really feel for this Rosemary girl, in a horror story no less. You begin ever so slowly to feel very uncomfortable about those people she meets, and you're sure there has to be something wrong with that baby, and you know what it is and you're almost sure how it will end, but you keep rooting for this Rosemary girl.

Rosemary is a new bride and she and her husband are making that first big step that comes with marriage, they buy a house, an apartment actually. In what looks like Dracula's hotel. There she does all the things that a newly wed bride does, at least in the 60's: paint, decorate, contact-paper the kitchen shelves, etc. She doesn't work outside the home, being a wife is her job, and she does it well. Her husband is an actor, with bit parts here and there but nothing steady. She even befriends another woman in her age group that lives there, and she has her nosey neighbors(they actually ask you what you pay for stuff!!). Everything seems fine, and normal, right? Right? So what, you some times hear chanting next door, or that your new friend threw herself from a window, you're out in the real world now and things happen.

I find that this movie is actually about Rosemary's leap into modern day feminism or at least trying to make that leap. She begins the movie in very June Cleaver-mode as I've stated, she even finds herself distanced from her friends, which happens to a lot of women sometimes when they are in a very unhealthy relationship. She even seems to accept all this, up to a point. Imagine that her biggest rebellion is to have a party at her home with, HER friends. By this time so many things have happened that you just want her to get the hell out of Dodge, which she eventually does, but with very 60's antifeminist ramifications, you'll understand when you see it.

And in the end what wins? Rosemary's feminism or society's expectation on what she must do?

And the biggest punch line of all is towards the end, when they say the baby has his "father's" eyes.

Creepy.

Read Best Reviews of Rosemary's Baby (The Criterion Collection) (1968) Here

I am always searching for classic and good horror films, because really actual horror movies don't get to my expectations, as the classic ones did on their time. For me, a good horror movie should keep me watching at it, from the opening credits to the end without any kind of self interruptions, like making a phone call, or something like that. Good horror should give me ,above all, a psychological impact after the movie ends. It is important to recognize first, the differences between classic and modern cinema, to give a reasonable review to Rosemary's Baby. I'am 29 years old, and for me this is a MASTERPIECE.

A MASTERPIECE that new horror filmmakers should learn of it, instead of making CGI Monsters, found footage documentaries, and trying to make people jump with all the technology in sound systems we have these days. It's the new horror style and I respect it, but in my opinion it lacks of the most important thing, the mentioned psychological impact. Rosemary's Baby uses only Mono Sound and a simple soundtrack to create a perfect atmosphere.

The main theme of this movie is the frustration, because everything is going from bad to worse arround Rosemary, and seems it will never stops. That frustration slowly starts becoming in a mix of anxiety and horror. The acting is excellent, despite de accent and expressions used in the 1960's, the body language takes all the credit. This is an extraordinary drama film that involves suspense, mystery and horror.

I'm glad I waited for this blu ray version to watch the movie for the first time, and the movie itself became one of my favorites. The video quality is excellent (1968), the extras are great, the cover art and the packaging tells you that you have a classic in your hands, not a conventional movie in a conventional disc-case. This is the first time I buy a Criterion Collection Blu-Ray and the quality and presentation is Superb.

I Recommend Rosemary's Baby Blu-Ray for first timers, and for fans of the movie I think there's nothing to tell them.

Want Rosemary's Baby (The Criterion Collection) (1968) Discount?

First of all, the film itself is a classic, and it's far more than just a horror movie. It has always been one of my favorites, and I believe that it has held up well with the passage of time. The cast is consistently excellent, with standout performances by Mia Farrow and Ruth Gordon. Visually, this has always been an interesting film, from the opening sequence with the bird's-eye view of the Dakota apartment building. Costumes and sets show an attention to detail that enhance the story and give an authentic 70's feeling.

The DVD transfer of the movie was acceptable, but not great. This Blu-Ray release offers a major improvement in both video and audio quality. The image has been cleaned up to remove dust, scratches, and other defects. The first part of the film has a rather dreamy, hazy look to it, but even with that, you can clearly see details that were never visible in previous releases.

The audio consists of a very well-balanced, uncompressed mono track, which allows you to hear every sound in this dialogue-driven film.

There's an informative and entertaining feature about the making of the film, including interviews with Polanski, Farrow, and Robert Evans, among others, as well as many photos.

The Blu-Ray also includes an unusually thorough booklet, with several essays and illustrations.

As a long-time fan of this film, I am extremely pleased with the job that Criterion has done with the Blu-Ray release.

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