Ken Berwitz

Roman Polanski has some very interesting people demanding that the 32 year old charges against him be dropped.

From Steve Gilbert at www.sweetness-light.com:

Woody Allen, Almodovar: Free Polanski!

September 30th, 2009

From the Celebrity News Service [sic]:

 

Martin Scorsese, Woody Allen, Pedro Almodovar And More Sign Petition To Release Roman Polanski

September 30, 2009

Anne Lu – Celebrity News Service News Writer

 

Los Angeles, CA (CNS) – Some of the biggest names in Hollywood are backing Roman Polanski up. Martin Scorsese, Woody Allen, David Lynch, Pedro Almodovar, and John Landis are among those who have signed a petition objecting to the fugitive filmmaker’s arrest.

Polanski was taken into custody in Zurich on Saturday while he was on his way to the Zurich Film Festival in Switzerland to receive a lifetime achievement award. His arrest stems from his 1978 statutory rape conviction for having sex with a 13-year-old girl.

 

He is set to be extradited to the U.S.

 

More than 100 filmmakers and actors signed a letter demanding the 76-year-old Polanski’s release. Stars and filmmakers who signed include Darren Aronofsky, Monica Belluci, Tilda Swinton, and Terry Gilliam.

 

Meanwhile, Polanski is facing more jail time after his legal team asked a Swiss court to release him. The decision could take weeks, which would mean the director would wait behind bars until such time.

Now those are some great character witnesses.

 

Mr. Allen’s credentials regarding the subject are fairly well known.

 

‘Openly gay’ Pedro Almodóvar’s breakthrough movie, the 1984 ‘What Have I Done To Deserve This?,’ was a comedy in which a mother sells her 12 year old son to a homosexual dentist as a sex slave.

 

Mr. Almodóvar’s first film in 1978 was entitled, ‘Folle, folle, fólleme, Tim’ (‘F**k Me, F**k Me, F**k Me, Tim’).

 

Maybe these two moral exemplars can serve on Mr. Polanski’s jury, that is if he is going to get a jury of his peers.

Interesting. 

I consider Woody Allen a great genius (and, movie-wise, Polanski isn't far behind).  But, sadly, they have more than directorial talent in common. 

Woody Allen's relationship with Mia Farrow ended in 1992, when she found out that he was taking nude pictures of, and having a sexual relationship with, her adopted daughter, Soon-Yi, who he first knew as Ms. Farrow's adopted pre-teen child (Soon-Yi and Woody Allen married in 1997)..  Allen was also accused of molesting another child, his and Ms. Farrow's adopted 7 year old daughter.  Because of this, Allen was allowed only limited, supervised access to their biological child, Satchel (now known as Ronan

Steve has already shown you Pedro Almodovar's "credentials".  As noted, Almodovar has featured pedophilia and various sexual exotica in his movies

I love that line about them serving on Polanski's jury so he'll be judged by a jury of his peers.

Regarding Polanski himself?  I have mixed feelings:

-On the one hand his crimes occurred 32 years ago and - to my knowledge, which admittedly is almost nil - he has not broken the law since.  Plus, the girl he drugged and raped, who is now a 45 year old mother of three, says she forgives him and wishes the charges were dropped.  After all this time it maybe fair to concede that he is no longer a danger to underage girls and let it go. 

-On the other hand, he committed those crimes -- i.e. he drugged and raped a 13 year old girl, then skipped out of the country (you try doing that and see if it's forgotten years later).  By what logic does Polanski get a free pass?  The fact that his victim now says we should forget the whole thing is immaterial.  Whether she cares about it or not, she was drugged and raped.  Will Polanski do it again?  Has he done it again?  The recidivism rate for pedophiles is extremely high.  Leaving him free, it can be argued, not only subverts justice, but puts other girls in harm's way. 

I don't know where I come out on this.  How about you?