Rosemary's Baby (1968, dir. Roman Polanski) ****/****

Rosemary's Baby is a classic in the horror genre for the very reason that it takes the time to develop the characters before unleashing the horrific nature of the story on its viewers.  Rosemary (Mia Farrow) and her husband Guy (John Cassavetes) move into a new apartment in New York and soon meet their elderly and over-friendly neighbours.  Little does Rosemary know that a plot of witchcraft and satanism is simmering below the surface of her new life and that the neighbours and many others in her life are not who they appear to be.  Polanski expertly directs his first feature and shows that his sense of pacing is perfect for the development of the story.  The camera, free to roam around the apartment initially, soon frames Rosemary in claustrophobic close-ups as she and the viewer learns the nature of her predicament.  There is a sense of suspenseful frustration as we, the viewer, are the only ones who share with Rosemary the doom and foreboding atmosphere that is slowly closing in on her.  A classic in the horror genre and a fantastic film of the late 60's.