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Greetings, and welcome to VIEWING THE CLASSICS. Here you'll find capsule reviews of vintage movies from the early days of cinema through the 1970s, with a special emphasis on sci-fi, horror, and mystery movies. Be sure to check out the Pages links, where you can find a Film Index of all my reviews, links to the reviews organized by cast members, directors, and other contributors, and links to my reviews of the films of talented young director Joshua Kennedy.

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Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Rosemary's Baby (1968)

Starring Mia Farrow, John Cassavetes, Ruth Gordon, Sidney Blackmer, Maurice Evans
Directed by Roman Polanski
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)

A young woman moves with her husband into a foreboding apartment house, and after she becomes pregnant, she discovers her helpful neighbors may be satan-worshippers after her child.

Adapted from Ira Levin's novel, and skillfully directed by Polanski, this is a terrific showcase for Farrow, who does a masterful job of conveying the toll of her pregnancy from hell on her mind and body.  As a horror film, it's not terribly shocking, as it's fairly clear from the start what's going to happen to her and her baby, but I'm sure any woman who's gone through childbirth would cringe at what she's put through.  A strong ensemble cast and Polanski's emphasis on realism make this a polished and compelling film, just not a very surprising one.

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