Rosemary Woodhouse: A Horror Film

Based on the popular 1966 novel by Ira Levin, the movie stars Mia Farrow as Rosemary Woodhouse, the mother-to-be wrought with paranoia that a coven of witches living in her apartment building are plotting to steal her unborn baby for a human sacrifice. All at once, Polanski creates belief and disbelief in Rosemary, our protagonist and her situation through uncomfortable sound design, muffled sounds heard through the walls, unsure if it is dream or reality, and characters – that are just “a little too friendly and helpful” – that leave the audience second-guessing who can and cannot be trusted. The film feels all too real to even be considered a horror film, which may be why it is one of the most effective horror films ever made.
1. Angles (high,
This statement comes with the exception of scenes involving Rosemary’s good friend Hutch and her first obstetrician Dr. Hill. Scenes with these two characters are often high key in lighting. This bright, shadow-less lighting makes the entire scene bright, clear, and transparent, paralleling these characters, as they are the only honest, trustworthy allies to Rosemary in the entire film. Contrastingly, the film’s antagonists – Rosemary and Guy’s nosy, elderly neighbors, Minnie and Roman – are almost always shrouded in shadows. Rosemary and Guy’s first meeting with Minnie and Roman take place at night with nothing but a street lamp and police lights casting red shadows over the elderly couple. Shadowy, dark, low key lighting is also heavily used when Rosemary and her husband Guy first tour their future apartment, The Bramford. The camera follows the couple through the vacant apartment where Rosemary stumbles upon a mysterious note that reads, "I can no longer associate myself…” but is left incomplete. The mood is eerie and the apartment’s tall black curtains and heavy wooden furniture add to the darkness of the
6. Editing
The editing is very natural, and “invisible,” with incredibly long take lengths. There are no transitions as the film consistently utilizes cutting to continuity. The film is also shown entirely in chronological order with no cross cutting, as if the film is entirely from Rosemary’s first person perspective. These editing techniques add to the realism as we only know as much as Rosemary does.
7. Shot lengths (extreme close, close, medium, long, extreme long/establishing)
The majority of the film consists of my medium shots with only a handful establishing shots and extreme close ups. The film is dialogue heavy and follows the characters from a medium framing most of the time, giving the audience a sense of reliability and feeling that they could fit in the scene as