Rosemary's Baby
A paranoid psychological thriller that descends into a Goya-esque nightmare of gaslighting and satanic dread, leaving an indelible stain of maternal terror.
Rosemary's Baby
Rosemary's Baby

"Pray for Rosemary's Baby."

12 June 1968 United States of America 138 min ⭐ 7.8 (4,186)
Director: Roman Polanski
Cast: Mia Farrow, John Cassavetes, Ruth Gordon, Sidney Blackmer, Maurice Evans
Drama Thriller Horror
The Horror of Patriarchal Control and Gaslighting Paranoia vs. Reality The Subversion of Motherhood and Domesticity Religion, the Occult, and Moral Decay
Budget: $3,200,000
Box Office: $33,395,426

Rosemary's Baby - Movie Quotes

Memorable Quotes

This is no dream! This is really happening!

— Rosemary Woodhouse

Context:

Rosemary, drugged by Minnie's chocolate mousse, experiences a surreal and terrifying vision of being raped by a demonic creature aboard a yacht, surrounded by the nude members of the coven, including her husband. In a moment of lucidity and terror, she screams these words.

Meaning:

This is arguably the film's most famous line. It marks the horrifying moment of realization for Rosemary during the rape sequence, where the dream-like state shatters and she understands that she is being violated by a demonic entity. It encapsulates the film's central theme of the boundary between paranoia and reality completely collapsing.

He has his father's eyes.

— Roman Castevet

Context:

In the film's climax, Rosemary discovers the coven gathered around her baby's black bassinet. Horrified by the infant's inhuman eyes, she confronts them. Roman delivers this line, confirming her worst fears are real.

Meaning:

This chillingly ironic line confirms the baby's demonic parentage. After Rosemary cries, "What have you done to its eyes?", Roman's calm, almost proud, response reveals that the baby's father is not Guy, but Satan. It's a moment of dark, understated humor that underscores the complete and horrifying triumph of the coven.

God is dead! Satan lives!

— Roman Castevet

Context:

Spoken during the final scene in the Castevets' apartment, after the baby's true nature has been revealed to Rosemary. It is a celebratory chant by Roman and the coven, signifying that their dark prophecy has been fulfilled.

Meaning:

This quote is the coven's triumphant declaration of victory. It references a famous 1966 TIME magazine cover that asked, "Is God Dead?", a question that reflected the era's anxieties about the decline of traditional religion. In the film, Roman provides a terrifying answer, heralding the dawn of a new, satanic age with the birth of the Antichrist.

Pain, be gone, I will have no more of thee!

— Rosemary Woodhouse

Context:

While suffering from intense, unexplained abdominal pains during the first trimester, Rosemary recites this line in an attempt to will the pain away, showcasing her desperation before she fully succumbs to the belief that something is terribly wrong.

Meaning:

This quote, which Rosemary chants half-jokingly early in her pregnancy, is deeply ironic. It represents her initial naive optimism and her desperate wish to control the excruciating and mysterious pain she is experiencing. It highlights her powerlessness, as the pain is an essential part of the satanic pregnancy she is being forced to endure.