Over the weekend, when I was sick, I watched Columbo reruns. In one episode, John Cassavetes plays a conductor who murders his pianist lover when she threatens to reveal their affair to his wife.
Watching Cassavetes reminded me of his role in Rosemary's Baby. This is a summary of the plot (it's not completely accurate in all the details, but it has the main points.)
Here's my run-down of the villains in that film.
Satan rapes Rosemary to impregnate with his child. Hey, Satan is evil. What can we expect?
Minnie and Roman Castevet are neighbors who befriend Rosemary and her husband Guy to manipulate her into giving birth to Satan's child. This is an evil thing to do, but they are in a Satanic coven--they think this is the right thing to do.
Dr. Abraham Sapirstein is Rosemary's obstetrician, but also a member of the coven. He and the other coven members believe they are doing the right thing.
Then there's Guy--Rosemary's husband. Guy--a frustrated actor--is the one who has a duty to Rosemary. But Guy is only looking after himself. Roman Castevet sets him up during their first dinner together. Roman tells Guy that he's a good actor but needs a break. I'm not sure exactly when Roman fills Guy in on the coven's plan, but Guy agrees pretty quickly. Soon, Guy gets a part because the original actor chosen has suddenly gone blind.
In Rosemary's final scene with Guy, he says something to the effect that the coven promised him that Rosemary wouldn't be hurt, and she wasn't really, and they got so much in return. How can he say that with a straight face? Rosemary has been raped, she's been isolated and gaslighted, her friend has been killed, she experienced intense pain for months that her doctor has minimized, and now her baby has been handed over to Satanists.
Rosemary spits in his face.
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