Rosemary's Baby

Last night I caught a showing of Rosemary's Baby in town. ​

​This was one of my favorite shots of the movie.

There is a strong use of color in the movie, Rosemary's apartment and much of her wardrobe are yellow, red shows up in times of danger and crisis, and during the worst part of her pregnancy blue seems to seep into everything. There are a lot of shots down hallways and looking into rooms from other rooms, often the camera is static while the actors move through the shot, only partially seen. The audience, and especially Rosemary can't see what is fully happening the world and it adds to the sense of mystery. And this world is mysterious, the former owner of her apartment, the woman she befriends who dies the next day, the book from a friend she never finishes, everything implies the horror of the situation without ever explicitly stating it. That is the kind of horror I appreciate the most. Occasionally the camera forces our view (and Rosemary's) on to some hint of something sinister, but by the time she realizes what is happening it is too late. Mia Farrow is excellent as Rosemary, I understood her frustration as the trap closed in around her and as her desperation grew so did anxiety watching. Throughout the movie we people trying to control her, her neighbors, her doctor, and especially her husband. She is isolated from the outside world, kept ignorant, and her paranoia is dismissed as hysteria. When Rosemary stood up and tried to take her life into her own hands I was rooting for her, even though I was pretty sure it was too late.​

I'm glad I got to finally see this.​

​Screen grabs are from film-grab.com