»» Columnists

Dear Hollywood, If You Want to Help Roman Polanski Then Please Shut Up

video

by Steve Krakauer | 1:39 pm, September 30th, 2009

» 11 comments

Dear Hollywood,

Since Roman Polanski was arrested Saturday night in Switzerland for fleeing the U.S. after pleading guilty in 1977 to unlawful sexual intercourse (a plea deal for a rape accusation), you’ve been speaking out in droves to defend the director. CNN describes it as “Hollywood Embraces Polanski“, Fox News calls it “Hollywood Left Bands Together to Fight Polanski Arrest“.

Here’s a tip: stop.

We get it – Polanski is a brilliant director. “Rosemary’s Baby” was fantastic. “Chinatown” is a masterpiece. He finally got an Oscar for best director in 2003 with “The Pianist” a heartbreaking film that opened the door for Adrien Brody to make out with Halle Berry. You even gave him a standing ovation that night – even though he wasn’t there to accept the award (video on next page).

Of course, that’s because he’d be arrested if he set foot in the United States, due to that whole raping a 13-year-old thing. But let’s not dwell on that right now.

Hundreds of you guys and others like you in the film world abroad have signed a petition demanding Polanski’s release. People like Woody Allen, who is a bit of a creepster himself (although, notably, has not had sex with a 13-year-old). People like Monica Bellucci, who was cinematically raped (for art). People like Harvey Weinstein, who says he is “calling on every filmmaker we can to help fix this terrible situation.”

And here’s kind of the problem, Hollywood. You think this whole thing is happening to you (or at the very least, to brilliant people like you). Whoopi Goldberg wanted to make very clear this week that what Polanski did wasn’t “rape rape.” That doesn’t make much sense sense, of course, and doesn’t address the fact that the director never served his sentence because he fled fled. Even Sharon Tate‘s sister, who thinks Polanski is a “good guy” and of course “brilliant”, wanted to draw the very obvious distinction that “there’s rape and then there’s rape.”

NEXT: How Polanski is not Joseph Goebbels.

Pages: 1 2

Adrien Brody, Chinatown, Hollywood, Hollywood defends Polanski, Joseph Goebbels, Polanski Arrest, Polanski brilliant, Roman Polanski, Rosemary's Baby, Sharon Tate, Switzerland, The Pianist

http://www.abramsresearch.com/ Dan Abrams

Steve,

You are right that his abilities as a director are beyond irrelevant. Nor, in my mind, should it matter that he had a tough childhood and that he had suffered a great loss in the not so distant past. Nevertheless, its still a complicated case. In theory, Polanski served his term when he was released after 42 days for one count of unlawful sexual contact with a minor. It was agreed that would be his sentence (although there is some dispute about that and about what should happen now). From a legal perspective, almost everyone now seems to agree what this judge did, and was going to do, was legally indefensible. Does that mean Polanski was free to flee the country? Absolutely not. He is a fugitive and should have come back earlier to resolve this matter.

But when you have a victim who has long wanted this to go away, the prosecutor in the case alleging there was serious misconduct by the judge (as well as the defense attorney), it may be time for the “brilliant rapist” as you describe him to come back to this country but I’m not so sure that serving time is the answer. If you care about our legal system, true “justice” would involve more than just Polanski facing the music.
http://www.swissarmyjew.com Keeva

Dan,

I see you are trying to straddle the fence here. Somewhere between the actual law and your Hollywood pals.

Well, Mr. Lawyer, understand this – Polanski fled the country IN VIOLATION of a plea deal. 42 days notwithstanding, judicial issues notwithstanding, victim’s wishes not even germaine. He fled. And that invalidated the deal, as any actual practicing lawyer knows.

If there are issues, then he has to return, go to jail and appeal, just like every other convict that thinks the system wronged them. He can appeal from his cell, just like every other convict. If there were issues, then the system will deal with them. But since he chose to flee and violate his plea deal, he no longer has that as any sort of protection.

Seriously, Dan, you know better. Doesn’t your network entrap would be child molesters for fun and profit? They still go to jail even though they didn’t touch the child. Polanski drugged and raped (actual rape, or in Whoopism rape-rape) a13 year old. And admitted it.

Stop the soft apologies and excuses. The man is a disgusting waste of air. Everyone agrees on that, too.
triv33

I don’t see Dan straddling any fences. I see a rational voice and clear analysis, hard to find these days. Keeva, could you please highlight the “soft apologies” for me? I’m having a little trouble finding them.
http://www.swissarmyjew.com Keeva

Soft apology for the judicial system: “From a legal perspective, almost everyone now seems to agree what this judge did, and was going to do, was legally indefensible.”

And the entire last paragraph. It softly points out that poor Roman is actually forgiven by all and only needs come back and all will be OK.

This is not a complicated case. It is simple – he left the country to avoid the decision of the court. Right or wrong by the court is not Dan’s call, nor is it mine or any of the others Dan cites. We have appellate judges for that. Polanski decided to disregard that and flee the country. By fleeing, he put himself at the mercy of the court should he ever get caught. And now he has been caught.

Put simply, what Dan Abrams is avoiding is that he made a plea agreement and then, when it looked like the court might have a different thought, took off, making himself a fugitive. And not only a fugitive, but one that openly thumbed his nose at our laws for 3 decades.

Ask yourself this: What if he was not a brilliant director or even famous. Would anyone even notice? Or care? Or make petitions or lovely editorials? It happens every day. A defendant is mistreated by the courts for whatever reason and, if the defendant is poor or not famous, nobody lifts a finger. Polanski should get that same treatment.

The rule of law here is equal protection for all, not better protection for celebrities.
triv33

So, the fact that Dan is pointing out that most people now recognize that the judge was guilty of judicial misconduct is a soft apology? I did not know that. I also didn’t realize that suggesting that Polanski might not be the only party that has some music to face for justice to be served was somehow a suggestion of better protection for celebrities. Huh, silly me.
Jelperman

Judges reserve the right to alter, ignore, or wipe their asses with plea agreements. It was done in the case of Michael Vick who, according to Polanski’s apologists, should have just skipped the country. Oh wait, Vick did cruel and sickening things to dogs, which is just unforgivable.

Speaking of football players, since sports and movies are both entertainment, why not let O.J. Simpson out of jail? He was better at playing football than Polanski was at making movies.
ogmrpack

Up your ass Whoopi!!! Don’t defend this piece of S**T scumbag. Boycott Whoopi for being stupid!
http://www.facebook.com/people/Hollie-Bust/100000175434681 Hollie Bust

These people are defending the indefensible. But let’s be honest. Most people in Hollywood and society at large find this behavior unforgivable and completely dispicable. Let’s not assume that just because a few people in the industry have spoken out in defense of Polanski that they all share that attitude. I can assure you that they don’t.
triv33

Oh, BTW, I’m not defending Polanski, yes his behavior is despicable. My point was that I didn’t really see Dan making any apology for it.
media7

keeva – right on, he fled justice in fear of the sentance, too bad for him.
Funny, now he’ll probably be considered a convicted sex offender, meaning he’ll have to register w/police if he ever wanted to live in the U.S., and I wonder if this complicates his ability to come and go from the U.S under whichever passport he carries? How ironic that would be – serves his time, then never allowed back!
Ayoka

Roman Polanski drugged and raped a 13 year old girl when he was a 44 year old man. In what way is that not rape-rape as Whoopi says? And if he weren’t a world famous director whose work was critically acclaimed, would we give a shit that this 44 year old man raped a little girl and ran? He basically told the world to kiss his ass because he was above the law by continuing to be high profile, even after knowing what he did—accepting awards from adoring constituents. did anyone ever get the mental picture of this child he raped being delivered to her parents house with the shame of his smell locked on her?