MovieChat Forums > The Exorcist (1973) Discussion > Pazuzu is the father of Rosemary's Baby

Pazuzu is the father of Rosemary's Baby

posted 7 years ago by zargmatt-73661
7 replies | jump to latest

Is it just me or does the human face of Pazuzu from the Exorcist (1973) look like a grown up version of the revealed Antichrist's face in Rosemary's Baby (1968)? Both faces are revealed as an overlaid image on the film with the same/similar color palette.

Director William Friedkin giving a shout out to the still re-emerging Roman Polanski?

Friedkin was quoted as being a fan of the following horror films: "Psycho, Alien, Rosemary's Baby, the Swedish original Let the Right One In, Babadook, The Blair Witch Project and the first Paranormal Activity." Check on all of those, but I'd add Exorcist to the list. ;) And Philip Kaufman's Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978).

Source: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/exorcist-director-william-friedkin-i-835016

[–] bastasch8647 7 years ago

I don't know the answer to your interesting question - it's been years since I saw Rosemary's Baby so I don't recall exactly. When you say the human face of Pazuzu, you're talking about the ghastly pale face that keeps popping up and which was played by Eileen Dietz. And when you mention the Antichrist's face in RB, I take it you mean Satan's face during the ritual seduction scene. From what I recall, that face was a more or less "devilish" mask and it was rather dark, not pale like the Dietz face. But in any case, as you say, Friedkin could easily have borrowed Polanski's techniques, including overlaid images with the same color palette. I'd need to re-watch RM to say for sure...

[–] Sugarminx 7 years ago

As bastasch says, the 'Devil's' face in RB was quite different to the Pazuzu face that flashes up in The Exorcist.

In RB the face is reddish in colour with eyes that have vertical pupils (3rd image down)

http://horrorfilms101.blogspot.com.au/2014/07/feature-rosemarys-baby-cracked-and.html

Whereas Pazuzu's face is ghostly white and more skull-like? (fourth image down)

http://www.vulture.com/2013/10/30-things-you-didnt-know-about-the-exorcist-movies.html

I don't see any similarity there.

"Puss rules!"
"It's Pus"

[–] bastasch8647 7 years ago

Thanks for posting the photographic evidence... apparently my memory was correct that RB's Satan was dark and reddish...

[–] Sugarminx 7 years ago

Pleasure 

I think the devil in RB is a more traditional look for Satan.

The Pazuzu demon is something quite...different, and all the more terrifying for the blink-and-miss-it flashes.

"Puss rules!"
"It's Pus"

[–] bastasch8647 7 years ago

Yeah, just a ghastly grimacing human face, except perhaps for the eyes - not a traditional demonic look for sure...

[–] kurt-2000 7 years ago

This part in your link was interesting regarding E. III -

"24. Serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer became obsessed with The Exorcist III, focusing on the serial-killer character portrayed by Brad Dourif (the voice of Child Play's Chucky), as well as the Emperor in Return of the Jedi. "He did identify with the power of these characters," testified forensic psychiatrist Park Dietz at Dahmer's trial. "The characters are unattractive ones … but he liked the idea of the power they had and it happens that both those characters are portrayed with yellow eyes … and Mr. Dahmer went to the extent of buying contact lenses with a yellow tint … He wanted to be more like those people ... Sometimes he would bring the victim home and watch a portion of the film with them.”

[–] Sugarminx 7 years ago

Yikes!!!

"Puss rules!"
"It's Pus"