There are a couple of key smart decisions that helped set Rosemary’s Baby apart from other Horror films. One is the pace, which starts glacial. The film seems like it will take forever to get going. Even after the graphic night that reminds you this is an adult Horror movie, you wait for the thrills, though now you’re more alert. Like a falling rock, the film picks up speed until the final section is happening too fast. Inside Rosemary’s head, you go from feeling like you know more than you need to not understanding what’s happening anymore. That makes the finale all the more effective as the film dumps you back out still spinning and piecing together the final events.
The other interesting element is the way the Adult content is confined to two key scenes. Blood and gore only occurs once, towards the beginning of the film and involving a minor character. Just the once is all that’s needed to raise the tension and fear for what might come next. (It’s a technique The Texas Chainsaw Massacre uses by having the Hitchhiker cut himself before we get to the surprisingly bloodless events at the Sawyer House.)
The other sequence is THE scene of the film, filmed in a way that’s oblique but leaves no doubt as to what’s happening. The film would be more suitable for all audiences without this scene, and you would still be able to follow the story. It’s interesting to think about that and consider the effect such uncomfortable imagery has on the viewer for the rest of the film.
Rosemary’s Baby isn’t the first demon pregnancy Horror film, but it is the most influential. You can only find a handful that came before compared to the number of rip-offs and even a few more prestigious productions that used similar ideas afterwards. Rosemary’s Baby remains the best and a key text in the Horror genre.
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