Dir: Angieszka Holland
Starring: Zoe Saldana, Patrick J. Adams, Carole Bouquet
Rosemary’s Baby was originally a novel by Ira Levin released in 1967 and was responsible for the subsequent prosperity of the horror genre over the next few years. The next year the first movie adaptation came out starring Mia Farrow and John Cassavetes and was directed by Roman Polanski. The original version of the film is widely regarded as one of the best horror films of all time, won approximately 10 awards, and was inducted into the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress. With the original being so good and so widely respected, I do not understand why they chose to remake this movie. The standards are so high, it would have to be flawless in every way to not be a total flop. Unfortunately, this movie was far from flawless.
This is a modern retelling of the story and they did include several changes, not all of which were bad. Instead of an actor Guy is a struggling writer and the story now takes place in Paris, which means they changed Minnie’s name to a more appropriate Margeaux. The role of Rosemary Woodhouse was originally cast as Mia Farrow, and she embodied the soft-spoken and demure nature of the character. Zoe Saldana is recast as Rosemary in this version, and she does not seem to display those same characteristics. Saldana is a very strong, talented actress but I feel like this was the wrong role for her. Her acting was much bolder and more audacious. In a different roll this would’ve been perfect, but I don’t feel like it suited this movie.
In Levin’s novel, and the original movie, Rosemary doesn’t begin having weird feelings or suspicions until she falls pregnant, and then half of the psychological horror element is that she might truly be crazy, even the reader isn’t sure. This movie portrays Rosemary as a genuinely unlikeable person. Her energy is almost manic and she’s hallucinating the entire movie, pregnant or not. Her hallucinations range from falling from the balcony to her death to a mysterious man she meets in the hallway and feels her up. Both of which are unnecessary additions to this version of the story.
Guy Woodhouse is played by Patrick J. Adams and his character is largely the same, with only a few changes. The main change for him is that in this version of the story, he’s not always onboard with the deal he’s made with the Castevets. In the original telling, Rosemary is bothered with the Castevets’ overbearing presence while Guy immediately strikes up a friendship with Roman. This version is the opposite, with Margeaux and Rosemary becoming friendly very quickly and Guy being on the fence about the couple. It doesn’t really affect the main story but there are a few added scenes, so I felt it was worth mentioning.
The change I hated the most and that I felt affected the story the most is how much they changed the Castevets. They are entirely different characters. They’re significantly younger, filthy rich, and unlikeable in every way. That was the whole point of the characters! They’re supposed to be able to blend in. They’re supposed to be the typical people next door, the people no one would suspect. The remade Castavets are overbearing in a way that’s obviously faked and is clearly hiding an ulterior motive. The original worked because the clingy nature of Minnie and Roman worked with their age. They were retiree’s just happy to have a younger couple in the building. When Rosemary gets pregnant, Minnie is just excited to have a baby around again. That all works and helps conceal their identity as just average, elderly neighbors.
The creep factor for Rosemary’s Baby is that it could really happen. At least it’s all grounded in some sort of reality. Having neighbors that are a little too enthusiastic to meet you is something that could actually happen. Being a young family in an area primarily occupied by older residents could actually happen. Guy’s career taking off after his rival is struck blind, a rough pregnancy, perinatal psychiatric disorders, these are all things that are completely within the realm of possibility. When you remove all of the ‘real’ from the film, you’re not left with anything creepy or suspenseful so it’s not shocking when the neighbors are revealed to be satanists. You take away all of the suspense and anxiety the first movie and novel induced.
For reasons I don’t quite understand, they added a maintenance man character. He’s only in 2 scenes but there’s no reason to add this character. He doesn’t lend anything to the story and, if anything, he detracts from their credibility as normal neighbors. The maintenance man doesn’t have a tongue for some reason so he communicates solely by grunting and the only times you see him he moves on all 4s. For absolutely no reason. Unless I missed something major, it’s never explained and it was a wholly nonsensical choice to add him.
The character of Terry Gionoffrio has been changed to a couple that lived in the apartment before Rosemary and Guy. The woman still jumps to her death, like Terry, but it is believed that the husband killed her and he is still on the loose. Rosemary has a dream about the couple before she ever moves into the apartment. Again, well out of line with the source text and subsequent film. It doesn’t hugely change much in the timeline of the story but Rosemary having a bond with Terry and then her death plays up on the psychological aspect Levin was creating.
The final change I’m going to bitch about is the scenes after Rosemary gives birth and believes it to be a stillbirth. Levin created this scene and atmosphere that, as a mother, is so unnerving. Rosemary is being used as a milk cow. Friends of the Castavet’s are forcing her to take medications that keep her drowsy and pump her breast milk and “dumping it” only to find out that her baby has been alive the whole time and they’ve been taking it to him. That’s so creepy!
The real question: Is it worth watching? I don’t think so. I think you should read the book and then watch the original movie and skip this one completely. Mia Farrow does an incredible reading of Levin’s original novel on Audible. I recommend listening to it, even if you’ve already read a copy and the movie is available to watch on Hulu with a premium subscription or check your local movie rental and support a local business while you watch some quality horror. The 1968 movie is a tad on the dated side but they really play up the psychological aspect that Levin created and it’s a solid adaptation.
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Suspensefully yours,
Morticia Crypt
Crypt Of Fear 