Film Studies Rosemary Baby

Question: Discuss about theFilm Studies for Rosemarys Baby. Answer: Introduction In the article named Birth Traumas: Parturition and Horror in Rosemarys Baby, the author offers a modern and feminist reading and critical analysis of the movie Rosemarys Baby. In the year of 1968, Rosemarys Baby, still considered to be a masterpiece of Polanski, sent chill down the spine while narrating a tale of a body invasion story and gothic pregnancy of a the titular character, who gets apparently possessed by a Satanic spirit (Fischer). While such horror tales could easily capture the attention of the then audience back in the 20th century, the author Lucy Fischer critically analyzes the social position of a woman in the contemporary society and the anguish she experienced in an essentially patriarchal society to be solely responsible for the delinquent behavior of Rosemary (Fischer). Hence, the thesis statement of the essay is that the movie Rosemarys Baby reflects the pathetic social condition of the powerless woman in a patriarchal society, and the tale does not narrate a g othic tale, but rather explores the psychological tensions of a woman in her pre-natal period. One has to agree with the perspective of the author, as the article rightly describes the traumatic experience encountered by a would-be mother, Rosemary. The author asserts that in the contemporary male-dominated social set up, a woman is socialized in a way that she is encouraged to lose her individuality, assert her own rights and become an object to the male desire of fathering a child. The author does refer to Zajiceks comment, that motherhood was the only fulfilling, rewarding course of action that a woman could pursue in the 1930s, and hence though the woman was barely prepared to encounter the physical pain and mental anxiety accompanying pregnancy, she was compelled to embrace motherhood against her wishes (Bhattacharya). As the feminist Adriane Rich rightly asserted, a woman compelled to become a mother is well-aware of the excruciating pain she is likely to encounter, and thus conceives herself to be a sacrificial victim. The anxiety resulting from fear of the horrendous p ain of delivery, can be seen responsible for the eccentric, lunatic behavior of Rosemary who is believed to be possessed in the movie. The author argues that Rosemarys Baby is not a gothic tale of evil spirits and monstrous child, but a tragic tale of the suppressed pain of the woman protagonist, who feels secluded and utterly helpless in a patriarchal social set-up. The author also points out that a lot of medical complications assisted pregnancy, such as puerperal fever that not only implied excruciating pain, but could also mean death. Considering this situation, women like Rosemary often suffered from depression, anxiety and paranoia that explain the delirium of Rosemary (Pieterse). In order to substantiate the argument, the author also refers to the scene of Rosemary apparently being raped by Satan. While the innocent woman emerges from her sleeps, she is astonished to see scratches on her body, and apparently the claws of the Devil have left the mark on her. However, on asking her husband, she understands how her husband drugged her, and tried to get close with her while she was still unconscious. Such inciden t of having intercourse with a wife without her consent, leaving behind scratches on her body, cannot be justified under any situation, and as the author claims that such incidents of domestic violence happened regularly with the women of the early 20th century, leading to the anxiety confused with lunacy here. A woman is being objectified, and she, against her wishes, is compelled to be socialized. While Rosemary being a woman is left with no option but to become a mother as desired by her husband, the social position of the woman is very evident. Rosemary starts seeking the grace of the Holy Father for being unconscious during her intercourse, and as per the cultural clichs, it is wrong for her to indulge in erotic activities (Humphrey). The author rightly asserts that a woman is being continually objectified, sometimes used for satisfying the sexual desire of her husband, and sometimes for helping her husband father a child. Rosemary becomes a sacrificial victim, and yet the auth or states that the witch or the demon possessing her does not exist in reality, but the demonic forces of patriarchy does have an overreaching consequence on the woman. The methodological approach employed by the author is the qualitative research method, that relies on the use of the secondary data. While substantiating his standpoint, the author keeps on referring to the writings of popular authors such as Ann Dally, feminists such as Adrianne Rich and even psychiatrists such as Helene Deutsch. In case the movie is analyzed in respect of the society it was written in, it becomes clear that the real demo possessing the woman is that of patriarchy which tries to stifle the voice and freedom of Rosemary. Reference List: Bhattacharyya, Srijita. "Power of madness: Rosemarys reply to the question Arent you His mother?."Folklore And Folkloristics7.1 (2014): 88. Fischer, Lucy. "Birth Traumas: Parturition and Horror in" Rosemary's Baby"."Cinema Journal31.3 (1992): 3-18. Humphrey, Daniel. "Gender and Sexuality Haunts the Horror Film."A Companion to the Horror Film(2014): 38-55. Pieterse, Annel. "Polanski and perception: the psychology of seeing and the cinema of Roman Polanski." (2014): 151-155.