Francesca’s Film Recommendation: Rosemary’s Baby

TW: This film has one dream sequence allusion to rape. It is not mentioned in this article.

This week’s film recommendation is a little out of the box for me. Especially if you’ve read all of my other film recommendations. I’m not a big fan of horror films. I often associate the genre with clowns, chainsaws, and jumpscares. I know that’s not the case for all of them. However, I love a good thriller flick or psychological horror. For quite a few years, I was deterred from watching it because of its classification. I was at a crossroads. Part of me ached for Mia Farrow’s babydoll and frock dresses. They have inspired my summer look for quite some time.  The other part of me had no desire to sit home alone and be scared out of pants. A few years back I finally decided to watch and was surprised at what I got.

If you need a little rundown of the film, Rosemary’s Baby centers around housewife Rosemary (Mia Farrow) and struggling actor Guy Woodhouse (John Cassavetes). The young couple moves into a Gothic Manhattan apartment with a rich history of bizarre happenings. After Rosemary finds out she is pregnant, her neighbor Minnie gives her homemade concoctions as opposed to doctor-prescribed vitamins. Rosemary starts getting very ill and suspicious. As more frightening events begin to unfold Rosemary believes that her neighbors and maybe even her husband are part of a wicked cult.

One of the most refreshing things about this movie is the contrast with the theming and the costuming. Color and silhouette are two of the most telling factors in a character’s wardrobe. Rosemary’s character is naive and pure. Naturally, her clothes are reflective of that. We see that throughout the entire film as opposed to the costumes changing with the character evolution. Even though the core of the film is satanic there is only one outfit that alludes to it; Rosemary’s red jumpsuit. You might completely overlook it as merely a bold color choice. The ordinary tone of the costumes puts the audience at ease, and that adds to the suspense of the storyline.

If you’ve seen Rosemary’s Baby, I’d genuinely like to know your thoughts on how it holds as a horror film. Do you prefer this style of psychological horror as opposed to a gory jumpscare type of film? Let us know on Twitter @TheCinemaSpot.