"Pray for Rosemary's Baby."
Rosemary's Baby - Symbolism & Philosophy
Symbols & Motifs
Tannis Root Charm
The pungent-smelling pendant given to Rosemary by Minnie symbolizes secrecy, deception, and the insidious influence of the coven. Presented as a good luck charm for pregnancy, it actually contains "Devil's Pepper," a substance used in satanic rituals. It represents the coven's control over Rosemary and the evil that is disguised as neighborly kindness.
Minnie gives the charm to Rosemary after the previous recipient, Terry, dies by suicide. Rosemary wears it throughout her pregnancy, initially as a quirky gesture and later out of a sense of obligation and fear. Its foul smell is a constant, physical reminder of the unseen evil surrounding her.
The Bramford Apartment Building
The Bramford, with its Gothic architecture and dark history of witchcraft and murder, symbolizes a modern-day haunted house where evil resides behind a facade of prestige. It represents the hidden corruption within seemingly respectable society. Its labyrinthine corridors and the secret passage in Rosemary's closet symbolize the violation of her private and bodily space.
The film opens with Rosemary and Guy moving into the Bramford, ignoring warnings about its past. The building itself becomes a character, its oppressive atmosphere contributing to Rosemary's isolation and paranoia. The Dakota, a real New York apartment building with its own share of history, was used for the exterior shots.
Rosemary's Haircut
Rosemary's decision to get a short, boyish Vidal Sassoon haircut represents a brief attempt to reclaim autonomy over her own body. At a time when everyone else is making decisions for her, this act of changing her appearance is one of the few choices she makes for herself. It marks a turning point where her passive acceptance begins to shift towards suspicion and resistance.
Midway through her harrowing pregnancy, Rosemary surprises Guy with the dramatic new haircut. His negative reaction—"It's awful"—underscores his desire to control her and his disapproval of her asserting her independence. The shorter hair also accentuates her increasingly gaunt and frail appearance, visually representing her declining health.
Colors (Yellow, Blue, and Red)
Polanski uses a deliberate color palette to convey the film's underlying tensions. Yellow is associated with Rosemary's initial innocence and wholesomeness. Blue, often worn by the male characters, can be seen to represent the patriarchal forces controlling her. Red is used sparingly but powerfully to signify danger, blood, and the presence of the satanic evil.
Rosemary frequently wears yellow in the beginning of the film. The night of the satanic ritual, she wears a striking red pantsuit. As the film progresses and her hope fades, she is often seen in blue and white, colors that ironically evoke the Virgin Mary, creating a satanic allegory of the immaculate conception.
Philosophical Questions
What is the true nature of evil?
The film challenges the traditional depiction of evil as monstrous and overt. Instead, it presents evil as something banal, sophisticated, and deeply ingrained in modern society. The members of the coven are not cloaked figures in a castle but friendly, albeit eccentric, elderly neighbors living in a prestigious New York apartment building. This raises the question of whether the greatest evil is that which is unrecognizable, hidden behind a mask of politeness and social grace. It explores how everyday human failings like greed, ambition, and selfishness can become gateways for profound evil to take root.
Can maternal love exist for a monstrous child?
The film's climax forces both Rosemary and the audience to confront this disturbing question. After discovering her baby is the Antichrist, her initial reaction is horror and rejection. However, upon hearing the baby cry, her maternal instincts take over, and she begins to care for him. This explores the powerful, primal nature of a mother's bond with her child, suggesting it can transcend even the most horrifying circumstances. It leaves the audience to ponder whether this love is a form of tragic acceptance and complicity or a testament to an unconditional bond that exists beyond good and evil.
At what point does ambition become a corrupting force?
Guy Woodhouse's character serves as a case study for this question. His desire for a successful acting career is initially relatable. However, the film meticulously charts his moral decay as this ambition leads him to make a Faustian bargain, betraying his wife in the most intimate and horrific way possible. The film asks where the line is between healthy ambition and a destructive hunger for success that eclipses all morality, loyalty, and love.
Core Meaning
Roman Polanski's Rosemary's Baby serves as a chilling exploration of the loss of individual autonomy, particularly for women in a patriarchal society. The film's central horror is not just the satanic plot but the systematic gaslighting and control exerted over Rosemary's body and mind by those she trusts most: her husband, her neighbors, and her doctor. Polanski aimed to create a realistic horror that blurs the line between the supernatural and the psychological, making the audience question Rosemary's sanity alongside her.
The film delves into the dark side of ambition, as Guy's willingness to sacrifice his wife for professional success becomes a central betrayal. It also critiques the erosion of traditional faith and the rise of secular anxieties in the 1960s, using the occult as a metaphor for the hidden evils lurking beneath the surface of modern, sophisticated urban life. Ultimately, the film's core meaning lies in its terrifying depiction of vulnerability and the violation of trust, suggesting that the most monstrous evil can wear a friendly and familiar face.