Dir. Roman Polanski | Now Streaming On: Prime | Rating: 5/5

I try to stay away from reviewing horror classics. Even if there is critical conversation to be had about them, it either has already been said or it’s too challenging to separate the criticism from the impact the work has had on the genre. But I, somewhat sacrilegiously, watched Rosemary’s Baby for the first time a few weeks back and haven’t been able to shake it from my brain. ⁠
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Watching Rosemary’s Baby feels like a cross between stepping into a dream and stepping back in time. From the setting to the gender roles, this captures the stifling feeling of being a woman during this period. Though Rosemary is self-reliant, she is ignored and taken advantage of simply because she is a woman. In a legendary performance that shaped the future of horror, Mia Farrow thoroughly sells this. ⁠
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As a witch myself, themes revolving around the fear of the occult, seen in The Seventh Victim and The Witch, are interesting. Something can be said about whether these portrayals are harmful to contemporary paganism. Paganism encompasses so many belief systems, I don’t claim to speak for all of them. But personally, I find that these films appeal to the preexisting stance of paganism as the religious “other,” as a result of colonialism. Which in short, means I think these aren’t causing additional harm – the harm has already happened and is historically prevalent. ⁠
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The painting of satanists and witches as the villain of Rosemary’s Baby can be read as a satirical jab at religion and the anti-establishment movement that would become prevalent in the years that followed the film’s release. ⁠
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It’s a shame that Roman Polanski was and continues to be a problematic figure in the community. The success of this film over time can be chalked up to, at least partly, Polanski’s technical skill as a director. But I can’t help but wonder how this monumental story of predation against women could have been a precursor to the nature of Polanski’s future crimes. ⁠
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Know Before You Watch: Features death, rape. ⁠