Roman Polanski

[carrier76]

Now, some persons remained seated with Elia Kazan received his honorary Oscar.

What was that about again? I forget.

[Deleted]

I loved The Pianist and think that Polanski is a talented filmmaker who has made some really good movies. Many of them are so off-kilter and disturbing that I don't like watching them for that reason, but the man definitely has a gift as well as a personal history that is enough to make you wonder how he didn't end up dead.

I also think he treated the girl in question horribly. Wol, thanks for mentioning that documentary. I'll have to watch it at some point. Wasn't the judge in the case involved in some shady relationships of his own? With young, though not underage, girls? That whole case stunk to high heaven I think.

[Yossarian]

We used to have another Polanski thread here but it got closed because people couldn't play nice. Please bear that in mind or else this thread will go the way of its predecessor. Thanks.

[WitchyPoo]

Feb 10, 2009 16:17:43 GMT -4 @kungfuwaynewho said:

I am such a hypocrite when it comes to him. I think what he did was awful and disgusting and the fact he's escaped punishment is ridiculous. But The Pianist is one of my favorite movies, and he absolutely deserved the Oscar for directing it.

Ugh.

How are you being hypocrital? I love his films and think he's a fantastic director. He directed my favorite film of all time, Rosemary's Baby. But, I'm one of those that can easily separate the man from his art. I understand it's difficult for others, though.
The documentary mentioned is good. I thought the judge was pretty dispicable. I think the mother does have to take some of the responsibility for placing her daughter in that environment. Not excusing anybody but it wasn't the purest of arenas.

[Ginger]

No it probably won't happen, largely because the victim of the crime has repeatedly requested that the issue be dropped. What he did was disgusting but he seems to have made amends with the victim.

AFAIK he has made absolutely no amends with the victim. Then again, I don't really know what making amends for something like that would entail.

From the interview she did a few years ago it seemed to me like she wants the whole thing to go away & feels guilty about what has happened to Polanski - like she thinks it's her fault. She also wants to live anonymously & forget about it all & therefore does not like the controversy being dredged up every few years. Not uncommon feelings for a rape victim to have. Fortunately, rape is a capital crime & it is irrelevant from a legal standpoint that the victim would prefer to "forgive and forget".

[proper stranger]

Feb 10, 2009 18:38:00 GMT -4 carrier76 said:

Now, some persons remained seated with Elia Kazan received his honorary Oscar.

What was that about again? I forget.

It was because Kazan named names before the House Un-American Activities Committee.

[Coffeecakes]

Damn, I must have been thinking of Kazan. Well then Hollywood is even shittier than I thought if there wasn't anyone refusing to stand or applaud that asshole.

[Deleted]

Feb 10, 2009 16:25:20 GMT -4 Wol said:

I highly suggest watching the recent documentary before drawing conclusions, and checking out the massive fallout from the documentary. This is a complicated matter. And I share my disgust for what Polanski did (I do separate the man from his crime in this circumstance) with the mother of his victim, who seemed to have the same sick stage mother disease as Lynne Spears and Dina Lohan.

I watched the doc. While there were certainly shenanigans by the judge in the case, and the mother was a bottom feeder, the fact remains that Polanski forcibly anally raped his 13-year old victim and that's not something I can abide.

I'm sure he won't miss the money I'm not spending to see his films. Scumbags like him don't get my money no matter how much forgiveness the victim has afforded.

[Deleted]

I'm sure he won't miss the money I'm not spending to see his films.

You could always stick it to him and illegally download.

[Wol]

Feb 10, 2009 19:27:44 GMT -4 @littleediebeale said:

Feb 10, 2009 16:25:20 GMT -4 Wol said:

I highly suggest watching the recent documentary before drawing conclusions, and checking out the massive fallout from the documentary. This is a complicated matter. And I share my disgust for what Polanski did (I do separate the man from his crime in this circumstance) with the mother of his victim, who seemed to have the same sick stage mother disease as Lynne Spears and Dina Lohan.

I watched the doc. While there were certainly shenanigans by the judge in the case, and the mother was a bottom feeder, the fact remains that Polanski forcibly anally raped his 13-year old victim and that's not something I can abide.

ITA. But until I saw the doc I was not aware of the conditions that led to him fleeing the country and that he did, in fact, serve some time in a mental facility. And then after the doc came out some of the attorneys who were interviewed who spoke favorably of Polanski on camera then took back what they said, and the shady judge is conveniently dead and unable to defend himself against the accusations that he was biased and a famewhore, which definitely casts a pall over the entire documentary! So that's what I meant when I said I find this whole case very "complicated." Why he ran and what were the conditions of his plea bargain and sentencing seem obscured by time, and at least one person's (the documentarian's) attempt to get to the truth came up short, imo.