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Rosemary's Baby

  • 1968
  • Approved
  • 2h 17m
IMDb RATING
8.0/10
223K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,703
117
Rosemary's Baby (1968)
Three Reasons Criterion Trailer for Rosemary's Baby
Play trailer1:38
4 Videos
99+ Photos
DramaHorror

A young couple trying for a baby moves into an aging, ornate apartment building on Central Park West, where they find themselves surrounded by peculiar neighbors.A young couple trying for a baby moves into an aging, ornate apartment building on Central Park West, where they find themselves surrounded by peculiar neighbors.A young couple trying for a baby moves into an aging, ornate apartment building on Central Park West, where they find themselves surrounded by peculiar neighbors.

  • Director
    • Roman Polanski
  • Writers
    • Ira Levin
    • Roman Polanski
  • Stars
    • Mia Farrow
    • John Cassavetes
    • Ruth Gordon
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    8.0/10
    223K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    1,703
    117
    • Director
      • Roman Polanski
    • Writers
      • Ira Levin
      • Roman Polanski
    • Stars
      • Mia Farrow
      • John Cassavetes
      • Ruth Gordon
    • 655User reviews
    • 275Critic reviews
    • 96Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Won 1 Oscar
      • 12 wins & 12 nominations total

    Videos4

    Rosemary's Baby
    Trailer 1:38
    Watch Rosemary's Baby
    Rosemary's Baby: Party Planning
    Clip 2:19
    Watch Rosemary's Baby: Party Planning
    Rosemary's Baby: Scrabble
    Clip 2:31
    Watch Rosemary's Baby: Scrabble
    "Servant" Blends Cooking Shows & a Rubber Baby to Perfectly Ruin Thanksgiving
    Interview 3:37
    Watch "Servant" Blends Cooking Shows & a Rubber Baby to Perfectly Ruin Thanksgiving

    Photos254

    Roman Polanski and Elisha Cook Jr. in Rosemary's Baby (1968)
    Mia Farrow and Robert Evans in Rosemary's Baby (1968)
    Mia Farrow, Charles Grodin, and Robert Evans in Rosemary's Baby (1968)
    Mia Farrow and Robert Evans in Rosemary's Baby (1968)
    Mia Farrow and Robert Evans in Rosemary's Baby (1968)
    Mia Farrow and Robert Evans in Rosemary's Baby (1968)
    John Cassavetes and Mia Farrow in Rosemary's Baby (1968)
    Ralph Bellamy, John Cassavetes, and Mia Farrow in Rosemary's Baby (1968)
    Roman Polanski and Mia Farrow in Rosemary's Baby (1968)
    Roman Polanski and Mia Farrow in Rosemary's Baby (1968)
    Roman Polanski, Mia Farrow, and Hawk Koch in Rosemary's Baby (1968)
    Mia Farrow and Ruth Gordon in Rosemary's Baby (1968)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Mia Farrow
    Mia Farrow
    • Rosemary Woodhouse
    John Cassavetes
    John Cassavetes
    • Guy Woodhouse
    Ruth Gordon
    Ruth Gordon
    • Minnie Castevet
    Sidney Blackmer
    Sidney Blackmer
    • Roman Castevet
    Maurice Evans
    Maurice Evans
    • Hutch
    Ralph Bellamy
    Ralph Bellamy
    • Dr. Sapirstein
    Victoria Vetri
    Victoria Vetri
    • Terry
    • (as Angela Dorian)
    Patsy Kelly
    Patsy Kelly
    • Laura-Louise
    Elisha Cook Jr.
    Elisha Cook Jr.
    • Mr. Nicklas
    • (as Elisha Cook)
    Emmaline Henry
    Emmaline Henry
    • Elise Dunstan
    Charles Grodin
    Charles Grodin
    • Dr. Hill
    Hanna Landy
    Hanna Landy
    • Grace Cardiff
    Phil Leeds
    Phil Leeds
    • Dr. Shand
    • (as Philip Leeds)
    D'Urville Martin
    D'Urville Martin
    • Diego
    Hope Summers
    Hope Summers
    • Mrs. Gilmore
    Marianne Gordon
    Marianne Gordon
    • Rosemary's Girl Friend
    Wende Wagner
    Wende Wagner
    • Rosemary's Girl Friend
    • (as Wendy Wagner)
    Toby Adler
    • Lady on Yacht
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Roman Polanski
    • Writers
      • Ira Levin
      • Roman Polanski
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      According to Mia Farrow, the scenes where Rosemary walks in front of traffic were spontaneous and genuine. Roman Polanski is reported to have told her that "nobody will hit a pregnant woman." The scene was successfully shot with Farrow walking into real traffic and Polanski following, operating the hand-held camera since he was the only one willing to do it.
    • Goofs
      When Rosemary is getting ready to go through the closet to the Castevets' apartment, she takes down all the shelves and then goes away. When she comes back, the shelf above her head has been replaced.
    • Quotes

      Roman Castevet: Rosemary...

      Rosemary Woodhouse: Shut up.

      Roman Castevet: Rosemary...

      Rosemary Woodhouse: Shut up. You're in Dubrovnik, I don't hear you.

    • Alternate versions
      The film originally proved problematic for the UK censors and the rape scene was toned down by the BBFC for the cinema release with edits made to remove dialogue and shots of Rosemary's legs being bound. All later UK video releases featured the uncut print.
    • Connections
      Edited into The Kid Stays in the Picture (2002)
    • Soundtracks
      Lullaby
      (uncredited)

      Composed by Krzysztof Komeda

      Sung by Mia Farrow

    User reviews655

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    9/10
    "Awful things happen in every apartment house"
    Rosemary's Baby was originally proposed as a project to Alfred Hitchcock. He turned it down, and instead it fell to the up-and-coming Polish director Roman Polanski. It's hard to imagine what the master of suspense would have made out of this tale of devil worship and Catholic guilt, even though there is some Hitchockian psychology and mystery at work. As it was however, it proved to be right up the young Polanski's street, taking his career to new heights, and spawning a run of occult horrors in the late 60s and early 70s, of which this is still one of the few greats.

    Polanski had already established himself as a director most comfortable with the confinement of interiors in films like Repulsion (1965). Here he draws us right into the claustrophobic feel of the upstairs apartment, often placing the camera in a room adjacent to the action, with the characters viewed through a doorway. The camera movement is mostly restricted to pans. It rarely tracks or dollys, as if it were trapped in a corner. Even in the exterior scenes the sky is often sandwiched or blotted out altogether between the buildings rising on either side. The actors often appear uncomfortably close to the camera, but not in individual close-up shots. Instead, they come in that close as they move around the set and the camera pans back and forth. Not only does this add to the cramped, awkward atmosphere, but this constantly changing distancing of actors within a single shots makes the audience feel as if they are actually standing there.

    Rosemary's Baby may come across as very slow to some viewers. 140 minutes certainly is a long time in the horror genre. There do also appear to be a lot of unnecessary details in the dialogue – we get to find out far more about Rosemary's background than is normal for a character in cinema. But for one thing, Polanski was not interested in making a shock-and-gore horror – Rosemary's Baby is all about the eerie atmosphere, the tension and the mystery. He holds our attention by regularly dropping in clues that something sinister is afoot. Furthermore, all the detail and depth has its significance in the finished product – like the references to Rosemary's Catholic upbringing or the background of the Castavets.

    Polanski has never overused flashy techniques – no fast editing, zooms or unusual angles that make for a very obvious directorial style. But there is always great complexity and meaning in the look of things – the set design, lighting, costume and so on. One of my favourite touches is Mia Farrow's extremely short Vidal Sassoon hairdo that she has done halfway through the film. With her bony features and pale skin she more and more begins to resemble a skeleton, especially under the carefully placed lighting in the scene after the party when she realises the pain has gone. It's simple yet significant ideas like that which make Polanski one of the best directors of his era.

    There's some great casting in this picture. Careful choice of character actors makes for some quirky supporting roles. Mia Farrow and John Cassavetes are perfect in the lead roles. The musical score – that haunting opening melody, or the atonal violin squeaks – all add to the atmosphere.

    Rosemary's Baby is a real landmark in horror. It helped keep the genre alive by pushing the occult - something fairly taboo, and not fully explored in cinema since the days of silents - to the fore. Also the restrained atmospheric horror was doubtless influential, particularly on Kubrick when he came to make The Shining. It inspired a lot, but was rarely bettered.
    helpful•52
    16
    • Steffi_P
    • Nov 26, 2006

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    FAQ27

    • What is the purpose of the vitamin drink?
    • Is "Rosemary's Baby" based on a book?
    • Is The Bramford a real apartment building in New York?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • June 12, 1968 (Canada)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Rosemaries Baby
    • Filming locations
      • Dakota Hotel - 1 West 72nd St. at Central Park West, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA(Guy and Rosemary's apartment building)
    • Production company
      • William Castle Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $2,300,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 17 minutes
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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