Polanski arrested in Switzerland (1 Viewer)

[James 'Tiger' Lee]

thanks for the articles!

 

[John CW]

Originally Posted by WillG

It doesn't matter how much time has gone by, or whether the woman wants it let go. He committed a crime which society had deemed extremely heinous. Now maybe all this stuff about the corrupt Judge is true, but Polanski still needs to face justice. And in light of what happened with the prosecution, perhaps he can get a new trial.

Got to agree here. Regardless of what happened, I think it's a matter for the courts.

 

[WillG]

The French director Luc Besson refused to sign the petition calling for Polanski's release.

Finally, a sensible voice from the film community (he'll probably be blacklisted now though). Think I'll pop in The Fifth Element later

 

[Ted Todorov]

Originally Posted by Adam Lenhardt ">[/url]


I don't believe it's because of the crime that France won't extradite; it's the fact that Polanski has French citizenship. AFAIK, France maintains an exception for French nationals in all of their extradition treaties.


Polanski is a Polish director with French citizenship. And unless you're a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, I don't see how "we" translates from the Oscars. America doesn't vote on them. [url=http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/30/opinion/30harris.html?ref=opinion]www.nytimes.com/2009/09/30/opinion/30harris.html[/url]

 

[TravisR]

Originally Posted by WillG



Finally, a sensible voice from the film community (he'll probably be blacklisted now though). Think I'll pop in The Fifth Element later

If it makes you feel any better, Kevin Smith said (via Twitter) "Look, I dig ROSEMARY'S BABY; but rape's rape. Do the crime, do the time."

 

[Pete-D]

Yeah but at the same time Luc Besson also says he likes Polanski personally, so are we also going to get into a tift about how "gasp! how can he say he likes someone who's a criminal!" etc. etc. etc.
Really this is all getting a bit silly.

 

[Brandon Conway]

I don't think it's problematic to like someone who has committed a crime. Criminals almost always have loved ones despite their criminal actions.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

Originally Posted by Ted Todorov

Was Polanski already French citizen in 1977? And this is the first time I hear that France doesn't extradite its citizens -- my impression is that it does but not for all crimes.

Polanski was born in Paris while his parents were living in France, at a time when (I believe) France still had birthright citizenship.

As for Polanski being a "Polish director" that's silly -- when's the last time he made a film in Poland or in Polish? There are numerous American directors who would not be American by this standard. You could readily argue that he is an American - not French, director because he makes most of his movies in English often with American stars. As far as "we" giving him the Oscar we did it as much as "the French" made him a "national treasure" -- nobody asked the average Joe or Pierre on the street -- here or there.

I wasn't arguing that he was a director of Polish films, I was simply stating that he was a Polish man who directs. Though born in France, both his parents were Polish and he spent the vast majority of his youth living in Poland including a few years fleeing the Nazis while his parents were trapped in concentration camps. When he was reunited with his father following V-E Day, he took up his studies in Poland and later attended a Polish film school. His work as an actor was primarily in Polish films. His early directing work was in Polish. I would agree that most of his work since the late 1960's should be considered American cinema.

 

[James 'Tiger' Lee]

French drop support

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8283707.stm

 

[Andy Sheets]

I know it wasn't rape rape. I think it was something else , but I don't belive it was rape rape

So for it to be rape rape, do you have to, I dunno, punch the victim in the mouth and tear her clothes before you do it? Quote:

If I had killed somebody, it wouldn’t have had so much appeal to the press, you see? But… f—ing, you see, and the young girls. Judges want to f— young girls. Juries want to f— young girls. Everyone wants to f— young girls!

Quote from an old interview with Polanski, from this blog entry: http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/michaeldeacon/100011795/roman-polanski-everyone-else-fancies-little-girls-too/

 

[Jeff Adkins]

I have a 13 year-old daughter and I can't imagine anyone defending what happened. However, I will say that we have to keep in mind that the 1970s were different and Polanski was from a different culture. That doesn't excuse what happen whatsoever, but even today the age of consent in France is only 15. I just wonder whether he really knew what he was doing was really wrong. Again, it doesn't excuse it but I'm not 100% sure he knew it was such a hideous act.

I'm surprised that no one has brought up any comparisons to Jerry Lee Lewis. Lewis didn't break any laws, but he did sleep with a 13 year-old girl.

 

[cafink]

Originally Posted by Jeff Adkins

I have a 13 year-old daughter and I can't imagine anyone defending what happened. However, I will say that we have to keep in mind that the 1970s were different and Polanski was from a different culture. That doesn't excuse what happen whatsoever, but even today the age of consent in France is only 15. I just wonder whether he really knew what he was doing was really wrong. Again, it doesn't excuse it but I'm not 100% sure he knew it was such a hideous act.

From my perspective, the girl's age is less important than the fact that she said "no." I could maybe excuse the fact that she was only 13, but forcing yourself on someone who's told you "no" is rape, plain and simple.

 

[Michael Elliott]

There have been questions on if she said no or not.

The age doesn't bother me as much either because there are places where this is okay. There was a time not long ago when girls were already having kids at that age and taking care of a husband. Polanski didn't take much heat from his Hollywood buddies and I'd guess that's because he wasn't the only one. Polanski walked around in an open relationship with Kinski and no one seemed to say anything. Apparently it was well known that he liked young girls so why the victim was ever left alone with him makes me question what actually happened that day.

Jeff mentioned Jerry Lee Lewis but lets not forget Chaplin and his thing for 12-15 year old girls. The rape is what I hope most people are worried about and not so much the age.

 

[Will_B]

I was willing to give Polanski the benefit of the doubt -- that he thought she was in her 20s, that it was consensual but was later turned into a rape allegation -- but thesmokinggun.com has the transcripts of both the girl and of Polanski, and if both of their transcripts are true then I have no sympathy for a man who was clearly using the old "I'm a photographer, take off your clothes, and aren't you horny now that your naked?" schtick to pressure a woman into sex. He was boorish, and by today's standards it would have been some kind of date-rape.

Maybe in the 1970s pressuring people into sex was considered fair, and maybe back then the concept of simply ASKING a person if she wanted to have sex was just too much honestly for a man to summon... maybe that was why in that era it wasn't a clear-cut case of rape, maybe that is why they initially promised him a sentence based on unlawful sexual contact with a minor rather than a rape charge.

They'll need a time machine to sentence him properly. But by today's standards, he'd at least be given probation and community service.