Haven't seen his latest film, but Venus in Fur, Carnage, & Ghost Writer were all fantastic. I'm in for this. Sound like an interesting plot.
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Roman Polanski filming J'Accuse in Paris this fall
- Thread starter Sweeney Swift
- Start date
Interesting topic for a film. Very important event in early modern social history. At least interested in what his take is going to be even if I never sit down to watch it.
I'm not sure Polanski sees himself as a Dreyfus. Is Polanski claiming to be wrongly accused? I thought he admitted that he did it but just didn't want to go to prison.
Paul Muni must be rolling in his grave. Or maybe he's not. I don't know. I'm not Paul Muni's corpse that I know of.
... Except that was literally the point of my post: that he's an asshole.
It is not even in the same galaxy as actually raping a child.
Oh my. A movie on the Dreyfus scandal by Polanski.
It is interesting now to see how the old guard respond to the modern zeitgeist and its affect on current art and culture, that of which they were the kings an era before. Regardless, this is destined for infamy, asleep fishes, and tipsy historical sidings... however good (which it'll probably be).
It is an important historical moment, though, one of the most livid in jurisprudence. Always wanted to see it done justice (ba-DUM) in film. But in the context of the current climate and co., we will see where this deals its hand.
It is interesting now to see how the old guard respond to the modern zeitgeist and its affect on current art and culture, that of which they were the kings an era before. Regardless, this is destined for infamy, asleep fishes, and tipsy historical sidings... however good (which it'll probably be).
It is an important historical moment, though, one of the most livid in jurisprudence. Always wanted to see it done justice (ba-DUM) in film. But in the context of the current climate and co., we will see where this deals its hand.
I don't give a shit about Polansky but I'm interested in the Dreyfus trial as a historical event.
It's actually the famous title of a letter writer Émile Zola published in defense of Dreyfus at the time.
It's actually the famous title of a letter writer Émile Zola published in defense of Dreyfus at the time.
If basically any other director was making a film about this historical event I'd be so down.
But nah, Polanski's making it.
Hard pass.
But nah, Polanski's making it.
Hard pass.
The Dreyfus affair was largely driven by a massive wave of antisemitism at that time in France. The Wiki article goes into some detail, but feel free to click the follow-up links to see just how nasty it got back then.
No, no, I get that. But if he says it's "absolutely relevant" because of the "witch hunt on a minority group", who is the minority group here and now that he's talking about? What is it relevant to?
Also from the article:
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I mean, hopefully we can disavow the man and his work while not downplaying his having literally lived through the holocaust.
Dreyfus was Jewish. Whether the #MeToo movement will have changed his way of tackling the subject, we'll have to see, but it seems like antisemitism was more his focus originally. I'm not really convinced Polanski is making this film to say anything about himself. He's guilty and admitted it. I think it's likely he just really cared about the topic, even separate from his crime.
EDIT: Saw your later post. I think you can just take your pick with minorities being treated unfairly. I'm not sure which one he had in mind when he made those comments, but it could be so many.
I know it's tempting to make this into some kind of an anti-#MeToo issue, but as that's a comment from 2012, I don't think he was referring to anything like that. Granted, a lot has changed in six years, but I imagine that he's going for more of a larger point to bring up about how little society has evolved on from the Dreyfus affair, and I'd be really surprised if he doesn't really hit on the racial implications in particular, given his own personal life from before he was a filmmaker. It is certainly possible that I'm giving him too much credit, since he hasn't exactly been on his best behavior with #MeToo.
Dude is scum but he's been through some shit. Holocaust and murder of his wife and unborn child..jesus
I don't understand why you said 'he's back', he's never stopped making movies
He's a despicable person, sure. But if as an artist you feel like you aren't ready to tackle certain topics because of personal circumstances, and you have to set limits to what you can create, that's not what art is about, imo. Either you're an artist and you should be free to direct/write whatever you want or you're not. So if I were Polanski (and didn't retire) I'd probably still make this film.
He's not a videogame dev that said """mean""" things about gamers, of course everything he does is excused. I mean, we get flat out rape apologism in here with the "~It's just that pre-1900 it was worldwide technically legal for artists to have sex with people under 18 years of age.~" point, and of course criticizing Polanski is equaled to "burning art".
Of course.
Dreyfus' tragedy would make a good movie, that story should be told, especially now. But not by Polanski.
It might get nominated for something, but not anything that would directly reward him. Remember that many thought James Franco was a lock for best actor at this years Oscar as he was being nominated and winning awards left and right for The Disaster Artist. But he didn't even get nominated for best actor after accusations of sexual misconduct came forward. The movie only received a best adapted screenplay nomination. And given how well known Polanski's charges are, as well as the fact that the room gave him a standing ovation when he won for The Pianist, it wouldn't actually surprise me if they avoided giving the movie any nominations at all so as to avoid any shots of the audience clapping for the nomination or potential win.
There's no doubt that Polanski is horrible. I definitely think people shouldn't give money to this film.
At the same time, I don't know how I feel about people saying that no one should watch any of his films ever anymore. As far as I'm aware, The Pianist is the only film about the Holocaust directed by a Holocaust survivor. Despite the wretched things Polanski is done, it doesn't feel right to just wipe that film (and some of his others, like Chinatown) from the history books. But I absolutely understand why people feel he shouldn't be supported and his films shouldn't be seen, no matter what. It's a really difficult issue.
At the same time, I don't know how I feel about people saying that no one should watch any of his films ever anymore. As far as I'm aware, The Pianist is the only film about the Holocaust directed by a Holocaust survivor. Despite the wretched things Polanski is done, it doesn't feel right to just wipe that film (and some of his others, like Chinatown) from the history books. But I absolutely understand why people feel he shouldn't be supported and his films shouldn't be seen, no matter what. It's a really difficult issue.
In either case, the dude's human garbage ( you obliviously know this) and the extension of himself is his art. Which was the thing that give him access and enabled him to do what he did. So anyone having some type of moral confusion/conundrum over condemning him to the fullest extent and still deciding to like his work.
Need to really think about how that looks. The guy's a monster.
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Agreed completely
I'll never get the mentality that it's a tough choice at all to just not support an asshole. Not watching one's movie, not listening to one's album, not reading one's book, not visiting one's Youtube page. By definition not doing something is easier than doing something
I don't get it either, though maybe i'm apart of the problem as-well. Given how much i love Fifth Element. But now i'm starting to question rather or not i should, given the director's history with grooming girls or just straight up.
Though you kind of go down the rabbit hole and wonder...who else? and do we want to know? how much of the industry would be cleansed off the face of the earth? (little devils advocate) though it would be a really good exercise.
Pretty sure he did something with 15 year old Nastassja Kinski soon after escaping the US too. There's never just one. Scumbag is just another villain that got away with his deeds, and yeah I lose respect for everyone who has worked with him, including actors who are parents like Ewan McGregor and Kate Winslet. Fuck them.
I think they are misguided. I think they are wrong and pity their beliefs. I'm not going to assume they are evil, just ignorant.
But it's also worth thinking about how it looks to erase the only film (to my knowledge) about the Holocaust made by a Holocaust survivor. I don't question the fact that he's a monster, but I don't understand why it's such a simple issue for you. Is it impossible for monsters to create culturally and historically significant works? I can't actually erase The Pianist from my memory or my experience. I think he should be in a jail cell, not free to make new films, but the question of whether his older ones should be confined to the dustbin of history seems really difficult to me.
Sorry, now I'm confused. You love films made by an abuser, but you don't understand why it might be difficult for someone else to grapple with the issues that arise from this whole question?
It becomes difficult when it's a film of great cultural or historical significance, where the application of absolutes like "never watch it" come up against other serious questions
A film, only that film and this is recent information to me. So it's different in that sense and in regards to the severity of the issue, that can be proven. Which in the case of this thread, and this director? he was was tried and then ran.
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Even the argument "separate art from artist" is baffling in this case because here it's impossible to separate the two. He's pretty blatantly self-identifying with the falsely-accused subject, and the timing of it being made can't be excused as coincidental with everything going on. He knows what he's doing and so do his supporters
I don't think Based on a True Story got particularly good notices, but at least as far as the US is concerned, it didn't really matter as it never released stateside. Sony Pictures Classics picked it up for release, but they wound up squatting on it in the end. The one before that, Venus in Fur, barely saw a theatrical release to begin with and IFC didn't bother with a physical release at all. Polanksi is just too much of a hot potato for distributors these day, so I do believe that this will also be passed up for distribution over here. No one wants to do deal with that kind heat in today's environment, and I can't blame them.
That's also why I don't see this on the awards circuit ever, because even if he does have supporters in private, the Academy made it clear last year that he is persona non grata now.
It's a shame really.
Great subject matter that hasn't been explored nearly enough in film, great cast and one of the best directors in the world (bear with me).
But even if the end result ends up being brilliant, Polanski being a fuckbag will nuke any positive discussion this film could generate.
And I'm disappointed that so many people in the French film industry are willing to close their eyes and ignore his past that easily. I get it, Polanski had a fucked-up and horrible life prior to his crime, but still. People really go out of their way to make excuses for him.
I read an interview with him in the French version of Premiere a few months ago and the interviewer barely even approached the controversies around Polanski and he was super courteous with him. I don't remember the content of the interview exactly but the tone of it was kinda like "isn't it crazy all the fuss around you in America?" It was pretty disgraceful.
Great subject matter that hasn't been explored nearly enough in film, great cast and one of the best directors in the world (bear with me).
But even if the end result ends up being brilliant, Polanski being a fuckbag will nuke any positive discussion this film could generate.
And I'm disappointed that so many people in the French film industry are willing to close their eyes and ignore his past that easily. I get it, Polanski had a fucked-up and horrible life prior to his crime, but still. People really go out of their way to make excuses for him.
I read an interview with him in the French version of Premiere a few months ago and the interviewer barely even approached the controversies around Polanski and he was super courteous with him. I don't remember the content of the interview exactly but the tone of it was kinda like "isn't it crazy all the fuss around you in America?" It was pretty disgraceful.
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Don't know if a convicted rapist on the run from law enforcement needs validation of his courage.