Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		0.0
Overall		3.5

Rosemary's Baby Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov October 20, 2013

Winner of Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role, Roman Polanski's "Rosemary's Baby" (1968) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Paramount Pictures-UK. There are no supplemental features included on this release. In English, with optional English, English SDH, Danish, German, Spanish (Spain), Spanish (Latin America), French, Italian, Japanese, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese, Finnish, and Swedish subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

The kind neighbor

Shortly after they move into their new apartment, Rosemary (Mia Farrow, High Heels, The Great Gatsby) and Guy (John Cassavetes, Machine Gun McCain, Opening Night) begin talking about having a baby. They both want one. But is this the right time? Guy does not think so. First he needs to get that great acting job he has been dreaming about; then he could become a father. Rosemary wants a baby now but is willing to wait. Good wives need to support their husbands and this is precisely what she intends to do. When the time is right, Guy will let her know.

In the building’s laundry room Rosemary meets Terry (Victoria Vetri, Invasion of the Bee Girls), a charming and bubbly girl. Terry used to do drugs and live on the streets, but the Castevets, Minnie (Ruth Gordon, Harold and Maude) and Roman (Sidney Blackmer, Little Caesar), who live right across Rosemary and Guy, took her in. Without them Terry would have probably ended up in a plastic bag. Those were some truly awful times and she can't believe what she did to her body.

Eventually, Rosemary and Guy meet Minnie and Roman, right in front of their building, where a crowd has gathered around Terry’s body. Rosemary’s new friend apparently jumped off the seventh floor - but why? Like everyone else, Minnie and Roman are also shocked because to them Terry always looked like a girl who loved life.

In the days that follow Rosemary and Guy and Minnie and Roman begin spending time together. Then Guy gets his dream job and Rosemary becomes pregnant. The first people to learn about the baby are Minnie and Roman. Who knew that they would turn out to be such great neighbors? They even arrange for Rosemary to see Dr. Sapirstein (Ralph Bellamy, The Awful Truth), the best in the city. Rosemary liked Dr. Hill (Charles Grodin, Midnight Run), but if Dr. Sapirstein truly is the best…

Back in the apartment Minnie shows up with a glass full of something - you know, "ships and snails and puppy dogs' tails". It is good for future moms. Rosemary will feel so much better after she drinks it. She does, and soon after begins losing weight.

A few days later Hutch (Maurice Evans, Beneath the Planet of the Apes) visits Rosemary. Hutch is an old friend who has just found out that Rosemary is pregnant. It is great news but he can’t believe how bad she looks. They talk and then arrange to meet again. But on the day of their meeting, Rosemary learns that Hutch is in a deep coma. After he dies, she is given a book he apparently wanted her to have. The book is about witches and black magic.

Roman Polanski’s adaptation of Ira Levin’s novel is often described as a great horror film and for a good reason – the atmosphere in it is damn near perfect. For a long period of time everything in the film seems normal, but just like Rosemary the viewer feels that something is off. But what?

There are clues about what is underway all over the film, but most of them are so bizarre that they can’t be taken seriously. Polanski knows it, and plays with the viewer’s expectations. Right until the finale, the viewer isn’t entirely sure what type of film Rosemary’s Baby is. How’s that? A few very small changes at the end would have made it a pretty good thriller, or an unusually effective black comedy, or terrific drama.

The cast here truly is phenomenal. Farrow is incredible as the initially naive and then suspicious Rosemary who can’t get a break. Cassavetes was also a great pick to play her husband who, how ironic is this, is also a struggling actor. Gordon also unquestionably deserves the Oscar she was awarded for her portrayal of the nosy neighbor. Great film.

Rosemary's Baby Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Roman Polanski's Rosemary's Baby arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Paramount Pictures-UK. Please note that the disc's main menu can be set in one of the following languages: English, Danish, German, Spanish (Spain), Spanish (Latin America), French, French (Benelux), Italian, Japanese, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese, Finnish, and Swedish.

The basic characteristics of the high-definition transfer are virtually identical to those of the high-definition transfer Criterion used for their Blu-ray release of Rosemary's Baby in the United States - and this is undoubtedly very good news. In most close-ups facial detail is excellent, while the outdoor footage impresses with wonderful fluidity. Contrast and sharpness levels remain stable throughout the entire film. Color reproduction is also very good. There is a good range of warm and very natural browns, yellows, grays, blues, greens, and blacks. Grain is evenly distributed and well resolved. Also, there are absolutely no traces of sharpening adjustments. Overall image stability is also excellent. My only minor complaint pertains to the presence of light compression artifacts. They are not distracting, but should have been avoided with a better encode. All in all, this release represents a very good alternative for folks who could not take advantage of Criterion's Region-A "locked" release. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your PS3 or SA regardless of your geographical location. For the record, there is no problematic PAL or 1080/50i content preceding the disc's main menu).

Rosemary's Baby Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are five standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: English Dolby TrueHD 2.0, German Dolby Digital 2.0, Spanish (Spain) Dolby Digital 2.0, French Dolby Digital 2.0, Italian Dolby Digital 2.0. For the record, Paramount Pictures-UK have provided optional English, English SDH, Danish, German, Spanish (Spain), Spanish (Latin America), French, Italian, Japanese, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese, Finnish, and Swedish subtitles for the main feature.

The quality of the lossless track is excellent. The audio is thick and very well rounded and there is a very good range of nuanced dynamics. The music, in particular, benefits a great deal from the lossless treatment. (You can hear how lush and vibrant the music can be around the 31-minute mark. The dialog is crisp, stable, free of hiss, and easy to follow. For the record, there are no audio dropouts or distortions to report in this review.

Rosemary's Baby Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Most unfortunately, there are no supplemental features to be found on this Blu-ray release.

Rosemary's Baby Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Paramount's Region-Free release of Roman Polanski's Rosemary's Baby is a good alternative for folks who could not take advantage of Criterion's Region-A "locked" release. It does not have any of the excellent supplemental features found on the Criterion release, but its high-definition transfer is virtually identical to the one Criterion used. Also, the disc's main menu can be set in a number of different languages, which leads me to believe that the same presentation of the film will be available in a number of different territories. (The menu options are listed in the video section of our review). RECOMMENDED.