Rosemary’s Baby and the Manson Family Murders
In 1969 Roman Polanski had finally become a success. After a youth devastated by the Holocaust, the loss of his parents, and a mugging that left him on the brink of death, the Polish-born director had moved to Hollywood. He was about to have his first child with his movie-star wife, Sharon Tate; and he had just released the blockbuster film Rosemary’s Baby.
The event that made Roman Polanski famous was a tragedy that shocked the nation. On August 9, 1969, followers of Charles Manson murdered Polanski’s wife and her eight-month-old unborn child along with four close family friends.
Rosemary’s Baby, which recently celebrated its thirtieth anniversary, stars Mia Farrow, John Cassavetes, and Ruth Gorden, who, won an Oscar for her role as the eccentric elderly neighborhood. Charles Grodin made his screen debut as the young obstetrician Dr. Hill. The movie follows Rosemary, a wealthy newlywed, whose life slowly unravels as she discovers she is the focus of a vicious cult of Devil-worshippers.
Although Rosemary’s Baby was released a year before the Manson Family murders occurred, the two events are incredibly similar. Both the movie and the murders happen in the world of show business—Sharon Tate was an actress, Rosemary’s husband is an actor. Both revolve around a beautiful young pregnant woman. Both feature the Devil (the Devil impregnates Rosemary; the Devil was one of Charles Manson’s aliases). Both involve a powerful cult that murders with apparent impunity.
One of the reasons the Manson Family murders shocked the world was the Family’s ability to perform atrocities with no reservations. The acted without hesitation, doubt, or remorse. In Rosemary’s Baby, young Rosemary (Mia Farrow) is at the opposite end of the spectrum, conspicuously unable to act. Rosemary is consumed with so much paralyzing self-doubt and hesitation the viewer is reminded of Hamlet. Unlike Hamlet, Rosemary’s doubt is not sympathetic or noble—or, for that matter, interesting. For the first half an hour Rosemary seems weak. For the second half an hour she appears spineless. Eventually Rosemary’s inaction in the face of overwhelming evidence becomes so acute that she actually stops being a believable character: no one could be this much of a moron.
Here are a few examples. Early in the movie, Rosemary’s husband rapes her while she is passed out drunk. She wakes with scratch marks on her back and no recollection of the previous night’s events.
Four of them broke into the home and murdered pregnant actress Sharon Tate, as well as the four other people in the home. Then just the following night they set out to another destination at the Los Feliz house, another nauseating murder scene. Leno and Rosemary LaBianca have been stabbed. "DEATH TO PIGS" is scrawled in blood; on the refrigerator is the misspelled title of a Beatles song: "HEALTER SKELTER." Later, Musician Gary Hinman was found stabbed to death in his home. The phrase "POLITICAL PIGGY" is scrawled in blood on his wall. This man was feared by many and had control over peoples minds. Security systems doubled is sales; and people started taking extra care to lock their doors and turn their lights off. You could ask probably anyone who lived then and they would say they whished that that never had happened. That the name Charles Manson had never existed. Not many people would look for the good this man
Alfred Hitchcock’s unique sense of filmmaking and directing has allowed him to become a very famous and well known film maker of his time. He uses similar recurring themes, elements, and techniques in many of his films to engage the viewers in more than just the film, but the meaning and focus behind the story.
All directors of major motion pictures have specific styles or signatures that they add in their work. Alfred Hitchcock, one of the greatest directors of all time, has a particularly unique style in the way he creates his films. Film analyzers classify his distinctive style as the “Alfred Hitchcock signature”. Hitchcock’s signatures vary from his cameo appearances to his portrayal of a specific character. Two perfect examples of how Hitchcock implements his infamous “signatures” are in the movies, A Shadow of a Doubt and Vertigo. In these movies, numerous examples show how Hitchcock exclusively develops his imagination in his films.
Those are the words of a convicted serial killer who never actually murdered a single person in his life, Charles Manson. Conversely he orchestrated members of the group that became known as the Manson Family to carry the murders out. Manson was born “no name Maddox” on November 12, 1934 in Cincinnati, Ohio. He was born to Kathleen Maddox, an unmarried 16-year-old prostitute who frequently drank. His mother married a laborer named William Manson weeks after his birth and was given the name Charles Milles Manson, taking his stepfathers last name.
"Mr. Scott, Ms. Maddox? Here's your baby boy!" These were the first words that Kathleen Maddox heard when she gave birth to a healthy baby boy, to whom she would later give her maiden name. Charles Milles Manson, born in Cincinnati, Ohio, on November 11, 1934 (FAQ's 1), seemed to be a normal child, when, in fact, he was trouble from the start. The two had not planned to have a child, and certainly did not expect him to end up being the most notorious killer of the 20th century. In the summer of 1969, Manson made the residents of California afraid to leave their homes (Fillmer 2). Charlie Manson committed grotesque crimes, controlled his trials, and now resides in the California State Prison (FAQ's 1).
Rosemary's Baby Rosemary's Baby is considered one of the best horror films of all time. Although it doesn't use shock techniques, the mood of the film remains disturbing. The director of the film, Roman Polanski, guides us through the film suggesting that the story is going to involve a loving couple expecting a baby. However, the film slowly progresses into suspense with the aid of structural components, such as the use of space, tonal and color compositions, and foreshadowing throughout the film. The suspense and horror of the film is extremely effective.
Taymor, Julie, dir. Titus. Prod. Jody Allen. Fox Searchlight Pictures, 2000. Film. 25 Feb 2014.
Throughout Shakespeare?s play, Hamlet, the main character, young Hamlet, is faced with the responsibility of attaining vengeance for his father?s murder. He decides to feign madness as part of his plan to gain the opportunity to kill Claudius. As the play progresses, his depiction of a madman becomes increasingly believable, and the characters around him react accordingly. However, through his inner thoughts and the apparent reasons for his actions, it is clear that he is not really mad and is simply an actor simulating insanity in order to fulfill his duty to his father.
Bugliosi, Vincent, with Curt Gentry. Helter Skelter: The True Story of The Manson Murders. New York and London: Norton, 1994.
Million Dollar Baby, Clint Eastwood’s latest movie as a director has been getting more and more positive reviews recently and it is even better than Mystic River. At first glance, the film looks like another boxing-movie cliché. However, Eastwood has succeeded in creating a compelling and moving story about the intricate world of human relationships, the price of success and the realization of dreams. The movie explores many different subject matters. Million Dollar Baby is about friendship and respect. It is about love and it is about dreams.
“Rosemary’s Baby” is riveting and morbid. In both the movie and book, you experience an unbelievable story of witch craft and horror. The story mentions cannibalism, satanism, suicide, and I can’t imagine what it would’ve been like reading it during the 1960’s. A married couple, the Woodhouse’s, move into the Bramford where numerous deaths and strange phenomena occurred. After becoming pregnant, Rosemary slowly becomes aware and begins to connect all the strange things that have been going on.
Heathers, a 1988 black comedy film directed by Michael Lehmann, presents an exaggerated model of social status in high school. The titular Heathers are a group of three girls- Heather Chandler, Heather McNamara, and Heather Duke- who control the school. In the terms of Marx, they represent the powerful bourgeoisie who rule over the proletariat- in this case, they are illustrated by the unpopular students. In the world of Westerburg High School, you are either popular or not, and there is no inbetween. To Nietzsche, this is an example of a binary opposition. Veronica, the main character, is someone who is hailed by both sides and is unsure of where she belongs. At the same time, another student named J.D. presents a different solution to her
Charles Manson and the Manson family committed gruesome crimes that shocked Los Angeles in 1969. The actress Sharon Tate and four others were ritualistically slaughtered in her Hollywoods Hills home. The murderers had left cryptic messages on the walls in the victims blood, and law enforcement were stumped by the multiple stab wounds found on the victims. The next day a married couple, Leno and Rosemary LaBianca, who were successful shop owners, were found in their Las Feliz home murdered in the same way as Sharon Tate and her friends.
One of the most powerful recurring themes in these two Hitchcock's films is the procession of domineering mothers.
A mother’s duty is to keep her child safe from the arms of evil whenever she can, but how can this task be completed if she is blind to the engulfing evil around? A mother is there to protect her child and stand by them in times of need, however, this obligation may be impossible to fulfill when a child loses their sanity. As evil consumes their child and the danger is turned on them, many mothers would step back and step up against these terrible deeds, but Gertrude has proven not to be like most mothers. Instead of reaching out to stop Hamlet’s rampage, she uses a blanket of love and faith to mask his violence. As Hamlet spirals downwards, Gertrude’s loving faith is stabbed by his violence, but she soon recovers as justification