Body Snatchers: Parasitic Monsters in Film

Rosemary's Baby (1968)

Roman Polanski's Rosemary's Baby is a masterpiece in subverted expectations. The titular character, Rosemary, is expecting her first child and experiences many fears related to motherhood. She believes something may be wrong with the fetus and suspects something is amiss with her neighbors. Everyone around her disregards her concerns, yet her fears are confirmed, as her baby is revealed to be the spawn of Satan, and her neighbors are the members of a cult who used her to birth the Antichrist.

Rosemary's Baby addresses a soon-to-be mother's concerns for the well-being of her child, as well as her worry whether she will be a capable caregiver. This film also highlights the objectification of women. Rosemary's husband made a deal with the devil in which he would become a successful actor in exchange for his wife hosting the antichrist. Rosemary was seen as a means to an end for those she trusted, including her family and her neighbors, instead of a human being with her own agency. Accordingly, Rosemary's Baby causes the audience to question who they themselves can truly trust. 

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