5 out of 5

Director: Roman Polanski

Well this holds up to expectations. From what I’ve seen of Roman Polanski’s works – which, admittedly, isn’t much – they can be uneven pacing / plot-wise, but he certainly has a way of holding your attention, through manipulation of the characters and scenes he chooses to allow you to see. This would seem like a “duh” statement for film, but if it were, every film-maker would get it right. Anyhow, this was especially apparent in Rosemary’s Baby. From the outset, a wonderful sweeping shot of the town, to the initial establishing scenes of Mia Farrow and John Cassavettes, I had to stop what I was doing and watch the film. There’s no need to really re-has the plot here, but simply stated: everything is fabulous. The little hints of what is and what isn’t, the acting, the set design. It’s all intelligent and respectful. While Farrow’s second dream sequence – the tell-all one – was maybe a little sloppy and included some lingering boob shots – I can accept it as an indulgence to edge the viewer onto Farrow’s side, that you too know she’s right. I think it makes the reveal of what’s what and Mia’s eventual resignation all the more powerful. Deservedly a classic, and absolutely stands the test of time.