These are photos from the Cannes premiere of Roman Polanski’s Venus in Fur (which Kaiser already covered for the Nicole Kidman fashion); and of course, I was initially amused that Polanski was pointedly staring at the bust of his leading lady, Emmanuelle Seigner, before remembering that she is his real-life wife. Oh well. He’s still a creepy pervert.
As a movie, Venus is a comedy of sexual manners, and so Polanski has been answering interview questions about the battle of the sexes and whatnot. Considering that the dude is an admitted rapist who continues to evade punishment to this day and persists in feeling sorry for himself over the situation, I don’t expect common sense on male and female issues to ever be one of Polanski’s strong suits. During his Cannes interviews, he’s still just as misogynistic as ever and spoke out at a press conference about how he’s so upset that merely giving flowers to a woman is “indecent” and basically that women should give up on being equal players with men. Oh, and he thinks that the pill has turned women into would-be men and ruined romance. Whatever:
In his press conference yesterday, Polanski said of Ives’s play, “The satire on sexism was very seductive to me.” Asked whether he resembled the film’s director character, Thomas, Polanski replied, “There’s this macho element in Thomas which is torn to pieces. When people get to know me, they know I’m not really this way.” However, asked if he dominated his actors, Polanski smiled. “That’s what the play’s about — domination,” he said. “I slapped them sometimes, but they never complained.”
Polanski, whose name is still inextricably linked with his sexual abuse case in the US in 1977, admitted to having some traditional ideas about male and female roles. “It’s a pity that now offering flowers to a lady becomes indecent, that’s how I feel about it,” he commented drily. “Trying to level the genders is purely idiotic — the pill has changed women of our times, masculinising them. That chases away romance from our lives.”
The assembled press seemed more amused than startled by his unenlightened comments, but gender continues to be a thorny point in Cannes after last year’s competition was criticised for not including a single female director.
Polanski has had triumphs and failures in Cannes before, and pointed out that his film The Tenant was given a chilly reception in 1976. This was why, after the screening of The Pianist, he returned immediately to Paris — he didn’t expect the Palme. “When my producer asked me to come back for the closing ceremony, I thought, ‘What for — a prize for directing? I know I can direct.'”
[From The Independent]
Where to start? Of course he speaks ill of “trying to level the genders” because Polanski doesn’t think highly of women. He sees them as sex objects to be used, abused, raped, and discarded. Yet Hollywood continues to celebrate this monster. Ridiculous.
Photos courtesy of WENN
I really wish you wouldn’t cover anything having to do with this despicable human being…
^This. This post just gives him more press. I thought this guy was locked up.
Yeah seriously. I’m sure his victim reads about him and gets so upset that people are praising him or even when not praising, talking about him. It’s like why even mention his name. He’s deplorable.
this dude is DIS GUST
1000+
I agree he’s despicable, but I do think it’s worthwhile to post about him from time to time just to shame those who continue to work with and honor him.
+1
Oh for crying out loud, look at his history. Anything he says is meaningless.
agree! This guy clearly has women issues. It offends to my core when men feel they have the right to discuss women’s health or issues. To me, its like, we’re all to small minded to know or understand what’s good for us. Like we’re not capable to understand or make any decision, period. He wants us all to be submissive, dumb, birth control free. This guy is an asshole.
Including his wife.
Exactly. I do not want to hear another word from this stupid old man who thinks he is (1) still relevant (2) not a criminal and/or sexual predator. So RP thinks I’m “too masculine” for having taken the pill?? Well at least one of us has to be masculine, little man, because you sure as hell aren’t my idea of what makes a man “masculine”. And stop whining about your criminal conviction – you weren’t the victim there. How pathetic.
SHUT UP.
That’s all I have to say.
Perhaps you would like to add STFU. But shut up is fine too, Eleanor. 🙂
Breaking news… Roman Polanski is a dickhead.
And what’s up with Emmanuelle Seigner’s face? (I refuse to look at the cleavage).
You don’t have to, he’s looking at enough of it for all of us in that picture.
Yes, it was so much better back in the days when women had no control of their bodies. As if we needed any more proof this guy is a major mysoginist.
Exactly. He needs to take a long walk off of a short pier.
Aside from his personal problem with justice system he is great director so I don’t see why his work (i.e. Pianist etc.) shouldn’t be recognized because of that.
+ 1
The “personal problem” was raping a child, so, yeah, there’s that.
Forcibly drugging and anally raping a thirteen year old. An incident no one disputes, not even him. If we can’t draw the line there, where are we going to draw it?
I am so amazed that the original poster’s thought is unfortunately common. This monster raped a 12(?) year old and is a wanted fugitive. No, he should not continue making money and directing. To say that is soooo disrespectful to his multiple victims.
When I remember correctly his victim said she wants to move on and so should he.
I am completely against any abuse of children (of course!) but this “crime” happened ages ago. You can argue about this man’s ethics but then you have to blame Jack Nicholson too.
Liv, what is the deal with the ” ” around the word crime? Are you telling us you don’t believe that the drugging and rape of a child is a crime?
To those who say that they can separate the work from the man:
If he had served his time and shown remorse for what he had done, then I say, sure, at least he earned the privilege of rejoining society and we should reward him by allowing him to move on.
As it is, he raped a child. And she did not look older than her years: he knew what he was doing. Every person that overlooks that is essentially saying that child rape is not a big deal.
Lara, of course, I think everbody should rape children. Are you kidding me? I wasn’t sure if the word crime is the right word since english is not my first language.
JennJ, I’m basically with you, but why is no one here blaming Jack Nicholson? It’s pretty clear that he has also something to do with it.
His work should not be recognised because when people commit crimes, they are supposed to be punished for them.
If you rape/assault/murder someone, you’re supposed to serve a custodial sentence. You lose your freedom, you lose the privileges law-abiding people have, and you face the music.
Just because Polanski has a talent for film-making, why does that mean he gets a pass, or gets the ‘tortured artist’ label?
I don’t care who you are, I don’t care what job you do or if you’re famous/remarkably talented, etc, etc – it doesn’t make you worth any more or less than a stranger you bump into on the street.
Polanski committed a terrible crime, and he should pay for it. And that means relocating to a jail cell, putting down the camera and being ignored by the film industry.
I suppose YMMV, but as much as I love Adrien Brody, I can’t in good conscience watch The Pianist knowing a rapist is still collecting royalties for it.
+ (however many we are up to at this point). once again, you have pointed out beautifully everything I am thinking.
@Amelia – perfectly put.
I try to split him off in my mind from his movies. He’s a loathsome little munchkin but I can watch Rosemary’s Baby, which is a great horror film whoever made it, without feeling guilty about enjoying it.
But if someone learns his lesson and deeply regrets what he has done once (I don’t know if Polanski does) – who are we to judge or say he should never participate in society again?
I think he should be punished but after that everybody should get a second chance.
I also don’t think he’s the typical rapist. In this time when the abuse happened they all thought they were above the law and could do whatever they wanted – rape or sex with children wasn’t socially condemned like it is today. In the 80s some really believed relationships with children/teenager under 18 should be legal. I condemn rape in every form and especially abuse of children, but we should at least consider the time this happened.
@ Liv This wasn’t a man who was having an affair with a 17 year old he date raped a 13 year old girl! Can you not see why this is not acceptable regardless of is he regrets it rape is rape its disgusting that he got away with it let alone is allowed to continue to make films!
I know it wasn’t an affair. Did you know that her mother willingly brought her there? It’s still just Polanski whose to blame, but all I’m saying is that it was a different time and that people were crazy about the idea of becoming rich and famous. I guess that was the reason why her mother deliberately handed her over.
Gosh, I don’t even want to defend him, I just find it stupid to bash him without reflecting it.
@ LIv – you’re kidding me right? He should get a second chance for a crime he has shown zero remorse for, because “it was socially accepted at the time” (actually it wasn’t) and because “her mother brought her there” — that is a CHILD you are talking about. She had no choice in that. HER MOTHER wanted her to be rich and famous and allowed it to happen, not the person who it actually happened to. And I highly doubt that her mother knew that would happen anyway.
Polanski is a fkn pig. No second chance for him because he continues to show disrespect for women.
Liv, her mother brought her there because they were doing a photoshoot for Vogue, it wasn’t a date!
I can’t believe you are blaming the 13 year old victim here.
Did you read my comment? I said the only one to blame is Polanski. And I said I don’t know if he has changed morally – I assume you do not know this either!
And it’s pretty rude to imply that I am accepting child abuse just because we don’t agree in opinion.
I see there’s no discussion possible when people pull out their dung forks.
I did read your comment and you were pretty clear. You said, “Did you know that her mother willingly brought her there?…all I’m saying is that it was a different time and that people were crazy about the idea of becoming rich and famous. I guess that was the reason why her mother deliberately handed her over.”
When you say that people had crazy ideas of becoming rich and famous, that her mother “willingly” brought her there and “deliberately handed her over” you are suggesting that the mother KNEW there would be a sexual relationship with the teen and Polanski.
You need to be corrected because the only thing the mother did “willingly” was allow her daughter to model for VOGUE magazine. This was the 2nd of two photoshoots. Polanski was guest editing Vogue. The teen was supposed to be a model, not a date or escort for him.
And yes, perhaps he has changed morally over time but his actions don’t reflect that.
So you would leave your 13-year-old daughter at a house you don’t know with at least two men you don’t know? Again: I am not even blaming the mother, it’s totally Polanski whose to blame, but I want to point out that people weren’t that sensitive or careful back then.
Child abuse is much more condemned by the public nowadays.
I can’t say if he has changed because I’m not following him closely, I just think we should talk about more and not lynch him so fast. Besides child abuse was almost accepted at certain times and there are probably more celebritys who participated in it.
A few days ago it was announced that a part of a party over here in Germany tried to legalize sex with children in the 70s and 80s. This is so hard to imagine for us in these times, but back then they really thought it shouldn’t be punished. We should have in mind that people were different back then and less educated. Again, he’s of course still guilty.
“So you would leave your 13-year-old daughter at a house you don’t know with at least two men you don’t know?”
That is not how it happened. The mother KNEW Polanski. He told the mother that he was guest editing Vogue and wanted to use her daughter as a model. The daughter posed for photos at shoot #1. The daughter later went to shoot #2 where she was drugged and raped.
Often people use it to justify his behavior. To look at him as the artist instead of the criminal. We wouldn’t talk about people in such terms if they didn’t have glamourous jobs. The rich and the famous don’t need any of that praise because that’s why these assholes still get to work while plain people are rightfully so burned at the stake.
And yes he’s a good director but he shouldn’t be working anymore. That’s Hollywood for ya. Rotten to the core.
EDIT:
@Amelia: +1
It’s the public keeping him there too.
I can’t enjoy his films either. I feel like I am supporting him.
Also, his films are horribly misogynist. I watched Rosemary’s Baby one time on television as a child in the 80s, before I’d ever heard of RP and was stunned at the hatred for women conveyed in that film (I was born a feminist. What can I say?) Don’t get me started on Chinatown. His films reek of his absolute contempt for women.
@bettyrose: Then you would have to say Ira Levin is also a misogynist. The film version of Rosemary’s Baby is extraordinarily faithful to the book which is one of the reasons I liked it so much. Polanski didn’t add anything that Levin hadn’t already put in there.
I used to love California Dreaming by the Mamas and the Papas, but won’t listen to it anymore, because of what John Phillips’ daughter Mackenzie called a “consensual incest” relationship between them.
So I fully agree with @Amelia here: it doesn’t f-ing matter who you are or what you can do. Nobody is above the law, regardless of their achievements.
I don’t even understand the admiration for tortured artists. Usually they use it as a free pass for being a total dick. I, on the other hand, admire artists who are just another guys/girls and still manage to be creative. THAT in my opinion is true talent.
That way of thinking is part of the problem. People think because he has a talent and power that stuff should be overlooked. Sorry, but he is no better than any regular old rapist off the street, and he should be treated accordingly.
Yes. The difference is: the “common rapist” goes -hopefully- to jail, Polanski goes to Cannes and people applauds him saying “that’s an old story,you know he is a genius”.
I believe he actually had to go to jail, first in the USA and then he was recently kept in house arrest in Switzerland.
@Liv: In total, he spent 42 days in jail for drugging and raping a minor.
So yes he was given special treatment – he was not punished as harshly as any regular old rapist off the street.
Elenor’s comment sounded like he didn’t have to go to jail at all which is wrong. Besides I think rapists get too little punishment anyway.
We’ve debated the semantics on this site whether someone who marries a 16 year old can be called a pedophile, but I think we’re pretty safe calling a child rapist a pedophile. Thus, I find it really hard to believe that the incident he’s famous for was his first or last crime.
Rape is inexcusable. When people watch his films, work with him etc. They are contributing to rape culture.
I don’t care if he is a great director. The same way i don’t care if the Steubenville rapists were great football players.
“I don’t care if he is a great director. The same way i don’t care if the Steubenville rapists were great football players.”
EXACTLY.
So should OJ still be playing football as well? SMH
So Steven Spielberg can kill some people because he made Indiana Jones and Schindlers List?
even if Polanski had found a cure for cancer it still doesnt mean its all cool.
Drugs are a “personal problem”. Cheating on your adult wife is a “personal problem”. Child rape is TAD more serious. It’s kind of a big deal to some of us and cancels out his “talent” if you will.
This is the same with people excusing Chris Brown for being abusive because “he makes good music”.
How is that any different than saying, “I don’t care if CB almost beat a woman to death. I will support his career because he makes me wanna dance with his songs!”
It’s dismissing the severity of his wrongdoings and enables him to be as entitled as ever because he knows there would always be people out there who will overlook his issues and still buy his music.
Polanski made good films but that doesn’t change the fact that he is a child-rapist. For me, it taints everything he says and does.
I would like to know how many other talented artists out there are being overlooked to make room for this scumbag. We’ll never know until we knock this guy off the podium to make more room. If we ditched him, maybe we’d have more time to celebrate female artists as well.
OH MY GOD, will someone please lock this POS away for good?!
It really makes me sick to think of how many people signed that damn petition.
It always makes me think a little less of Jodi Foster and Kate Winslet (et al).
I swear, so many people – presumably including celebs like Foster and Winslet – have no idea of the reality of the Polanski rape case. The public perception still seems to be that it was consensual underage sex in the swinging 70s, when every famous guy was banging 13-year-old groupies at Bingenheimer’s, and some old judge (maybe a racist, maybe antisemitic) decided to persecute this poor artiste. “Oh poor Roman has suffered so much in the war and with Sharon Tate’s murder, why can’t they leave him alone?” With a side-order of “that girl’s said she’s over it now and just wants to get on with her life, so if she doesn’t care, why should we?”
They need to read up a little. Great artist or not, the reality is that he drugged a fourteen year old, plied her with booze and quaaludes and raped her while she was half-conscious, sick and sobbing to go home; that he has never acknowledged the nature of his crime and continues to perpetuate this notion of himself as being unfairly tortured by the puritanical American justice system.
I mean, I hope that they are simply ignorant of the reality. The idea that they might know what he really did and simply not care is too abhorrent to contemplate.
Exactly! 🙂
ETA: thirteen year old, not fourteen. Apologies for the mistype.
That’s very true. Until I had actually looked it up, I thought that Polanski’s statutory rape charges were because he had consensual sex with a minor. I was horrified when I found out what really happened. I think a lot of people just don’t know. It happened a long time ago, in a time where “everyone” was doing it (having consensual sex w/minors), and they don’t feel he should be punished for that, I guess. And aren’t a lot of his defenders born during or after the seventies? I just can’t imagine why/how he got out of going to jail.
Virgilia; to avoid sentencing, Polanski fled from LA to London, and then jumped ship to France. I’m not really up to speed on extradition laws, but I’m guessing they’re non-existant between the USA and France, seeing as he’s still walking about.
In September 2009 he was actually temporarily arrested by Swiss police at the request of U.S. authorities, who also asked for his extradition.
Unfortunately, the Swiss rejected that request, and instead released him from custody, declaring him a “free man.”
Word to all of this.It’s commendable that the victim is willing to forgive, but his punishment still stands and he needs to answer for it. That’s what makes me so mad at these rape apologist who keep trying to nullify what he did. I just wish some bounty hunter would get him and drag him back to the US to answer for his crime.
I have NOT listened to ANYTHING by Chris Brown since he BRUTALLY BEAT a WOMAN! I am appalled when i hear young girls listening to him. It’s not okay! Not my daughter!
He has that “short man” syndrome.
Makes grand statements; likes to be the MAN.
Yeah i guess thats one of his problem ,apart from his dick doing the thinking rather than his brain ,i think its called “The Napolean Syndrome”
He really is foul. Whenever I see him, however, I can’t help but think of poor Sharon Tate…
That poor woman had a terrible marriage and died horribly, but there’s no reason to feel bad for this d-bag.
By “masculine,” I think he actually means “strong” and “in control of their sexuality.” I think we all understand while this person might have a problem with that.
Yes. Exactly- power does not belong to masculine or male, and why should it be a problem to any man– except he feels robbed of sole possession of all power over other human beings….
…. And Viagra has made short little men more feminine! Someone should glue his lips together.
Haha! I love that line Belle Epoch:)
As for him, what upsets me most is that there is a whole support system for him here. There ARE articles that say it was a teenager who totally was having a good time and who forgives Polanski. This confusion which is highly circulated in the media makes me wonder at how many more rapists and pedophiles there are in Hollywood’s upper ranks, and makes me wonder if the actresses who signed the damned petition are under pressure to do so for their own security or just plain old job security ( if they’re just ignorant…SMH)
Its not that she forgives Polanski because it wasn’t a big deal, rather she chose to forgive him because it’s a step in the healing process, and is tired of the topic being brought up as it makes it difficult for her to move past it.
“There ARE articles that say it was a teenager who totally was having a good time and who forgives Polanski.”
The victim’s testimony IIRC was that she kept saying no to his advances and he ignored her, and that she eventually just shut up and let him do whatever he wanted so she could get out of there. She has since expressed a desire that the whole thing would just go away and that he’s paid for his crime, and also that her life was essentially ruined for a long time by being “that girl” and she wanted it to be forgotten.
She also has said that she’s sure he feels bad for what he did, but that is certainly not the impression I’ve ever had from any interviews I’ve ever read with Polanski – he’s the one who has said she enjoyed it (or at least that she didn’t fight back).
His attitude seems to be basically that she was a tease who was asking for it so that she and her pushy stage-mother could get famous off the back of accusing him, that he did nothing wrong, nothing that other men wouldn’t do, and he’s been persecuted for it ever since.
Total Chris Brown syndrome – he said once in an interview that he was tired of the press only ever asking him about “the thing with that girl in America”. Well, maybe if you acknowledged that you committed a f*cking crime, and showed some awareness of the heinousness of your actions, and actually acted like you ever felt any sense of guilt at all, then people would let go of it. But no, people like Polanski just pay lip service to their wrongdoing, insist on feeling like THEY are the victims, and seem unable to understand that that’s why people refuse to let it go.
*sigh* Okay, rant over.
I don’t care if his next film is Citizen Kane times The Bicycle Thieves. And some of his movies are terrible. Carnage, for e.g. was a contrived piece of shit, in my opinion.
But my point is that this is irrelevant. He’s a sex offender. Period. I think it is astounding that he still has a career.
It is a testimony to what powerful men of privilege can get away with. Another example being the repeated allegations against Dominique Strauss-Kahn (who also happened to be at Cannes, I see)
I’m sure he doesn’t have a problem with all pills. He must find roofies quite romantic.
HA! That comment about the rufies is friggin hilarious.
I wish the press had pushed him to explain what he meant by “masculinising” them. That would have shed more light on his parochial attitude.
The comments on this article on other sites will make puke, not only do they defend this piece of shit but they also agree with him and accuse women for being the reason men have become “pussies”.(yeah, pussy is equivalent with weakness).
Whenever someone says feminism isn’t necessary any more the comments on any issue regarding women’s rights are justification fore feminism.
Also another French director said in Cannes that most women dream about being a prostitute.
So the next time I hear a female celebrity being ashamed to stand up for women’s rights they need to be sent these quotes.
He only slightly has a correct notion in there, but he is blaming women and pills for the loss of chivalry???? It doesnt even make sense!! Masculinity?? What—!? Women want to be socially capable, powerful, and mobile- this has nothign to do with masculinity. A powerful woman still loves flowers, too. He almost had a point, but couldnt articulate it without getting all twisted up in his distaste for females.
What’s so romantic about an unwanted pregnancy?
Of course, his idea of romantic is having sex with a child. So.
HAHA +10
that motherfucker. I’m a polish feminist and I feel ashamed that he’s the same nationality as me.
Yeah, I’m Polish too but aren’t his views quiet typical for any 80-year old Polish man, unfortunately? If you asked the grandpas sitting on a bench in the park about the birth control pills, gender roles etc, you would probably hear the similar answer from 80% of them, roll your eyes and walk away. They were raised that way and are still stuck in the war and post-war reality, when women were supposed to be delicate flowers and men were thought that taking care of them was the same as controling them – give them flowers, open the door for them, kiss their hand as a welcoming gesture but also tell them what to do, how and when to do it. I’m a woman but I’m not saying “us” but “them” because women were different back then (my grandmothers and their friends use the word feminist as an insult). Polanski is a sex offender and that makes all he says 100x worse, but my great-uncle, who is is a wonderful person, but is also a stubborn, 80-year old Polish man from Krakow, like Polanski, has similar views and even though I’m against it, I’m afraid that trying to change that would be pointless. I’m not defending Polanski as a person (and definitely not the rape thing), I’m just trying to describe the cultural thing in this particular case.
“Yeah, I’m Polish too but aren’t his views quiet typical for any 80-year old Polish man, unfortunately? If you asked the grandpas sitting on a bench in the park about the birth control pills, gender roles etc, you would probably hear the similar answer from 80% of them…”
Typical or not, if I ever become an 80 year old with harmful and inane views that are diminishing of other human beings in any way, puhlease do me a favor and shove me off whatever bench/stool/toilet I may be sitting upon.
If it helps, he was born in France.
He Was born in France but in a Polish family and he was taken to Poland at 3 yo. where he was raised.
Rapist AND Pedophile.
Oh, and your wife looks like shiz in that dress.
The man is a pedophile and a rapist. Anything he says is meaningless.
He is a good director, but I’m sorry I can’t stand this man. He’s an arrogant douchebag and a rapist.
Just go away, you repulsive old perv. And stay gone.
Ugh, this filthy pedo really needs to shut the f–k up already. I’m with you, Bedhead, I don’t know how the film industry still supports this vile excuse for a man, it’s disgusting.
Yes, it masculinizes teenaged girls so they can say no to creepy, drug-peddling rapists like Polanski.
I remember reading an interview with Hugh Grant several years ago where he was asked, “What is the single worst experience you have ever had working on a movie set?” HG answered that it was a Polanski film he made in the late Nineties.
Hugh Grant said that Polanski constantly insulted his wife, telling her she couldn’t act, she was a fat loser, a stupid pig, etc., and that she was too old. Grant said that Polanski also slapped his wife on set when she didn’t say the lines in the way he wanted.
This is harsh but true. When I first saw that headline about still yet more misogynistic statements coming from Roman Polanski, my first thought was “God, I cannot wait until that man dies.”
Then I saw the photos of his wife in that ‘advertising’ red dress, and she looks like she is of the same opinion! From her dress and demeanor, it looks like she can’t wait to get out of that marriage, and after 20 years the only exit is going to be his.
Is it weird that I like Hugh Grant a bit more now for actually saying all this in public and not sweeping it under the rug?
Does anyone remember that petition to free him from Swiss custody ( Switzerland apparently has an extradition treaty with the U.S. ) that the American and European establishment sent around for everyone to sign. I will never forget some of the names that I saw on that list: Natalie Portman, Vincent Cassel, Monica Bellucci, Tilda Swinton, and scores more. I still have not been able to reconcile this fact because many people that I respect signed that goddamned petition. The support that this man has is legion. Michael Douglas was one of the only people asked to signed who declined. I typically don’t like him but he got mad respect from me for doing the ethically correct thing, something these artists seem incapable of doing.
Luc Besson also declined to sign the petition, as I recall. I didn’t know Michael Douglas refused, so kudos to him.
I remember the petition but not the names on it. I will have to revisit the list of names.
Remember when someone gave Emma Thompson grief for signing it and she actually looked up the details of the case and was horrified that she’d signed. She had signed because someone else had, and had assumed that the case was a lot less sordid. I’m alwayskind of fascinated by the relationship Polanski has with Hollywood. He committed an awful crime, but did it at a time that a lot of crazy things were going on and people didn’t look twice (remember, he did it at jack Nicholson’s house) AND Polanski is something of a tragic figure. Remember, not only was there the Manson murders but he was also a Holocaust survivor. So people justify that piece of garbage’s behavior.
Hollywood people think if he is “one of their own” then he must be a good guy.
Sharon Tate’s sister also defended him, and said his victim was not a real victim.
Its interesting because Natalie Portman is such a goodie-two shoes, yet she defends a child rapist.
These people are unbelievable! They don’t have to condemn Polanski, but they should not be signing a petition to release him from responsibility for his crime.
In fairness to some of the people who signed, I believe they may have signed it because the victim said several times she did not want Polanski prosecuted and she wanted to move on and put it all behind her.
They may have felt that the victim’s wishes should come first.
Katie wants her boots back!
Ugh he is so disgusting. He is a rapist, end of story. The fact that people continue to associate with him and defend him is sick.
Of course he is against contraception. Contraception gives a woman agency over her her sexuality and of her life in general. Rapists hate for a woman to have agency.
His wife kind of looks like a man in drag. Maybe she took too many birth control pills? LOL
I can’t believe that people try to defend this rapist pedo pig.
He doesn’t exactly hate women and girls – he just thinks of them as objects he can use as he pleases. That’s even worse than hatred, imho.
…
“A: He asked, he goes, ‘Are you on the pill?’ And I went, ‘No.’ And he goes, ‘When did you last have your period?’ And I said, I don’t know. A week or two. I’m not sure.’
Q: And what did he say?
A: He goes, ‘Come on. You have to remember.’ And I told him I didn’t.
Q: Did he say anything after that?
A: Yes. He goes, ‘Would you want me to go through your back? And I went, ‘No.'”
I guess he used to have a different opinion about the pill.
If I weren’t on the pill, I’d have crazy heavy periods and my acne would be back. I think the benefits outweigh any side effects, at least in my case. I’m not even using them for birth conrol at this time.
See, you keep talking about your body like its yours and not just a sex toy for menz, and that’s incredibly confusing for rapists like Polanski.
What does he mean that the pill has masculinized women? Not that I really care. He’s an old, perverted idiot. Although, The Pianist is brilliant. I didn’t even realize he directed it.
I guess maybe he is so stupid he doesn’t understand how it works? Like he thinks it makes a woman grow a penis to avoid pregnancy?
How has he made it 80 years on this planet? Seriously.
He means women can determine whether or not they want to get pregnant. He thinks self-determination = masculinization. He’s a sexist creep. End of story.
Well, Hollywood sees women as sex objects to be used, abused, raped, and discarded. So of course Polanski continues to be celebrated.
Exactly. I don’t think he is worse than the rest of the Hollywood. It makes me laught when people think that their favourite stars are saint and he is the bad one. Yeah right. Keep being delusional.
Don’t worry, we’re not as delusional as you believe. This is a site that appreciate critical thinking and we’re well aware of the Hollywood PR façade.
But this is different, unless you think that drugging and raping a thirteen year old is the norm.
@Jennifer:
Well, he IS worse than the rest of hollywood if the rest of Hollywood hasn’t been drugging & raping teen girls. It’s a crime.
You are right though, that many, if not the majority, of Hollywood have skeevy stuff going on.
Brutally raping a 13 year old is way different than the normal debauchery of Hollywood. I’m amazed at your nonchalance of this brutality. He is waaaaaaay worse than most of Hollywood, like two standard deviations (at least).
I think she is not talking about PR facade and duchebags only about abuse, casting couches, sexual harassment, pedophilia, prostitution, drugs, and other “funny” things. This business has very dark and ugly side and many beautiful stars have dark and ugly side as well.
@Tamara
Again, we’re well aware of the Hollywood ugly façade and, to tell the truth, this is one of the reason why I comment on CB. To tell this PR people and celebs that there’s a “public opinion” who don’t buy their BS. (Even on a less important matter as showbiz is).
But what worries me is that it seems that you don’t understand that DRUGGING and RAPING a MINOR is a crime that can’t be dismissed as “HWD daily routine”.
I’m usuallly the first one to defend Polanski (because honestly, guys, the priggish admonisments don’t hold up in the harsh light of seventies zeitgeist reality of free love; I mean, it’s a little harsh to single out Polanski just because he got caught), but that’s a stupid-ass thing to say.
Nevertheless I’ll see this film because a) Polanski makes good movies; b) Mathieu Amalric is awesome (and looks more or less exactly like Polanski, natch) and c) Venus in Furs is my favourite Velvet Underground song.
Please save your hipper-than-thou grandstanding. The man drugged and raped a girl. That’s not free-love; that’s sexual violation. Period.
Yes, and had you bothered to read beyond defend you would have figured out that what I am saying is that this thing is more common than we’d like to admit and that Polanski is merely exceptional because he got caught, and instead of focusing on just this particular example we might ask ourselves why don’t hear about this more often. NOT that what he did is in any way acceptable or justifyable.
So according to your argument we should be less perturbed and apologetic due to a whole culture of collusion despite the fact that we KNOW what he did ? Well, as long as everybody’s doing it…. :-/
Circe, there is something majorly wrong with you in your brain.
You think that if everybody does something, that means its okay? What if everybody went around raping YOU. would that be ok?
Also, the holocaust — was that okay?? Cos like, everybody, was like, joining in and stuff. So it must have been totally fine!! Your precious Polanski could have died in that holocaust, still fine?? You make zero sense. And your comment below about teachers not having a problem with Polanski? Maybe they weren’t aware of it. Just because somebody is a teacher doesn’t mean they know everything and it doesn’t mean they care about children either.
Roman Polanski drugged and raped a CHILD.
What the hell is wrong with you?
Sigh. See above.
I sincerely hope you do not have children.
We had a discussion recently about Polanski at the teachers’ lounge at the school where I work. The fact that he abused a fifteen year old didn’t come up once. We talked about his films instead and came to the conclusion that while Rosemary’s Baby and Chinatown are his best works, his more recent stuff is quite poignant as well. Stylistically, certainly, he is unique.
Now ask yourself why an entire room full of teachers wouldn’t object to his presence on this planet.
Me and my kids sleep just fine at night.
Try 13. Totally different ballgame. 15 is iffy for many people (and legally) but there is no iffiness in forcing sex and sodomy on a 13 year old. None. If it is true, in fact, that TEACHERS are so nonchalant regarding this brutality, I eel for the children/
@circe
I honestly can’t understand how anyone could possible defend him. The 70s sexual revolution was all about consenting adults getting it on; it wasn’t about sexually abusing children.
That girl was 13 years old. That’s like Grade 7, not even high school. It is NEVER okay for a grown man to have sex with an elementary school child.
And who only knows how many other children he molested, ones who were too young or ashamed to speak out.
ONCE MORE, I am not defending his actions, but you have to place them in the context of the seventies – which, once more, so we’re absolutely clear on this, does not excuse his actions, but it is indicative of the fact that free love was mostly free for men, and not so much for women and girls, and that Polanski wasn’t the only one, he just got caught. Do you honestly think Jack Nicholson or Mick Jagger couldn’t have done this? That this didn’t happen on a grand scale in Hollywood? I think all the secrets still rotting in the hidden depths of history deserve our attention more than Polanski does.
As for suggesting he has abused others – that is mere speculation, which is hardly contributive to the debate, and, considering the fact that nobody would have any problems believing them I think prospective other victims would have surfaced by now. It seems unlikely that they would be too young to remember; men who go for teenagers tend not to go for very young children. That’s the difference between ephebophilia and paedophilia.
@Circe
It’s interesting that you think it’s “mere speculation” to question how many other young girls Polanski molested, yet you’re quick to point out that you personally believe that Jack Nicholson and Mick Jagger are equally likely to be pedophiles.
(Incidentally, the 13-year-old girl Polanski raped looked very young for her age. She was no Courtney Stodden by any stretch of the imagination.)
Child abuse, especially sexual, can lead to lifelong issues with intimacy if left untreated, and often the victims are too ashamed to ask for help.
The bottom line is that we’ll have agree to disagree.
@Circe
Rape is rape he drugged and raped a 13 year old child she was not a consenting teenager she was a child. I am an training actor and usually would deffened a director/actor or playwright however how can you ignore the fact rape is rape regardless of when it a occured just because the social norms were different in the 70s does not stop it being rape!
I am not slut shaming anyone, but that case was a mess. The director was the guiltiest, but also the mother was, for letting her go alone to that house full of strangers who everybody should assume were using drugs.
On top of that, that mother was not so careful, as the girl had not been monitored, the girl wás sexually active. Totally uncle Terry.
I do agree that his movies are great, tho. Every movie of his I have seen is art, Bitter moon, the Apartment, the Pianist, tess, Rosemary’s baby, Oliver Twist, Frantic, the ninth door. Well the two latter not at the same level.
I do not condone his actions, but I can accept that he is a great artist.
Violet, you should have seen the Strip on a weekend night in the 70s! Wall to wall 13 and 14 year girls decked out in garter belts and platform stilettos. Prostitutes you’re thinking? No, just young girls hoping to pick up a famous actor or rock star. Plenty of them dropped off on the corner by mom. Listen to Led Zeppelin? Rolling Stones? The Who? They were happily having sex with the 13 year olds too. Jack? Warren? Same. No, it wasn’t right. But it was common. The young girls may not be hanging out at Rodney’s anymore but their still entertaining the rich, famous, and powerful. I can promise you that.
@megsie
No matter how provocatively a woman — or young girl, or anyone for that matter — dresses or acts, that does not excuse rape. Nor is it ever acceptable for adults to have sex with school children.
Roman Polanski, who should’ve had the judgment and restraint to walk away no matter how provoked or aroused, drugged this poor kid and then sodomized her.
(Also remember that he was rich and famous enough that he easily could’ve found a youthful and innocent looking 21-year-old to have consentual anal sex with, using role play to pretend that she was unwilling. But for rapists and pedophiles, it’s not about sex. It’s about power and anger and destruction.)
There is no possible context that can excuse or explain away his actions. He’s a pedophile and should be behind bars.
Um, I think human beings are capable of grasping more then one concept at once so that people can be upset that this rapist got away without facing justice and that so many other young girls and women are drugged and sexually assaulted. And using the fact that it was the 1970’s to diminish what happened to this girl is not going to work, because he was charged IN THE 1970’s with rape by use of drugs, sodomy, and providing drugs to a minor and having sex with someone under the age of 14. He was convicted of unlawful sexual intercourse. If it hadn’t been statutory rape, or giving drugs to a minor, it would have been FORCIBLY performing sodomy and other sex acts on an unwilling partner or a partner who’s ability to vociferously consent was compromised by being under the influence of drugs and alcohol. Because she repeatedly said NO and if she hadn’t said no, isn’t it illegal to have sex with anyone who’s ability to consent is impaired by drugs and alcohol? His behavior was illegal on every imaginable level back then and its still illegal now. Stop excusing the rape of a 13 year old girl. Educate yourself, because your comments diminishing the sexual assault and exploitation of this child are sickening and disgraceful.
Ok I must say something. This situation was not black&white. It was party with a lot of booze and drugs. First of all it was not place for her but somehow she got there. How? Why? Maybe because her mother pimped her. She wore makeup and looked like Lolita. She and her mother are not saint. And then this whole circus with prosecutor. Come on.
It was just him and the young girl there, he was photographing her for a Vogue magazine spread and asked her to pose in the pool I believe, her mother was there and he insisted she leave as her presence was distracting him from his “art”. She left, he asked this 13 year old to undress for “arty” shots, she was uncomfortable and said she felt unwell and wanted to go home. He took her inside to lie down and got her a glass of champagne which was drugged with the muscle relaxant drug Qualudes and the rest is history. He violated this poor girl, admitted to it in court and then fled justice.
Interesting side note: Four days after Sharon Tate died and his first time back in the house he brought a journalist friend with him from Life magazine to photo the house, he sold them the exclusive rights to the photos, her blood was still all over the house. This was in the D.A book on the Manson case.
Polanski is scum in every way.
If anyone wants a copy of the book let me know.
I read that he took pics of her two days in a row, and on the second he took her to two or three places, and the mom stayed home. She found out when the girl told her boyfriend and she overheard.
And her guardians or parents? Even an adult before the attack saw them drinking alcohol.
He took advantage of his position and the mother/parents were too ambitious / trusty for their own good. A recipe for disaster.
Good that she seems to have turned out ok.
Well, Tamara certainly covered all of her victim-blaming bases. 1) She was dressed provocatively. 2) She “seemed older” 3) Her mother put her in that position. 4) they were greedy famewhores. Any other excuses you’d like to come up with for a grown man feeding a tween girl drugged champagne and sodomizing her while she begged him to stop?
@Circe
Omg, you are a teacher?? This is terrifying. What happens when a child comes to you and said they were sexually assaulted? Please don’t tell me you’d blame it on the “context” of the situation.
I weep for our education system.
Isn’t calling him a rapist complimentary to a pedophile rapist?
I’m sure be “masculine” he means not accommodating and NOT flattered when the creeper hits on them. Sucks when women don’t flattered his short man ego, doesn’t it?
Is that why he’s so hostile towards menarche?
He’s a pedophile and should be in jail.
Annndd…
WhoTF asked ya’ anyway. ?? Perverted, nasty, old f*ck.
If he continues to remain free and make sickening amounts of $$ maybe someday, someone, will see fit to put a bead right between his eyes. I’m not usually for vigilante style punishment, but as a Mother of a beautiful 18 y.o. young woman I can honestly say I would have taken him out BEFORE he ever had a chance to run.
This rapist needs to drink a big glass of shut the f!!k up about women. Does he even know what the pill does for women? Does he know that some women take the pill for more reasons then having casual sex “like a man”? (Because he probably thinks that promiscuity and casual sex are the sole domain of men.) And does his wife know what a bra is ?!?
Yes, he is absolutely a rapist and pedophile. Another woman said he pressured her into having sex with him for a movie role when she was 16, Nastassja Kinski said he pressured her into a sexual relationship when she was only 15, God knows how many other young girls this nasty old perv has forced himself onto. He is 33 years older than his wife. He disgusts me and so do his movies. He’ll never get any business from my household.
Ugh, Pola Kinski, Klaus Kinski eldest daughter wrote in a book not too long ago that her father raped her for years, until she fled from home when she was 17(?).
He probably did the same to Nastassja, poor girl.
And, the pill “makes women more masculine”. Yeah, how does that work? How does taking female hormones make one masculine? What an asshole.
Who cares what this violent, criminal, POS sissy pedophile has to say?
This is unintentionally funny, I mean, a known CHILD rapist giving his opinion on women? Please go choke on a cactus.
HAHAHAA
RAPIST!!!!
+100
I actually watched the tail end of a fascinating documentary on that case the other night. I wish I’d managed to catch the whole thing. What I gathered though, was that justice became perverted throughout the duration of the trial and it was unsurprising that he fled. There were interviews with lawyers from both sides, the girl herself, legal experts, etc. Essentially the judge thought he was a bit of a rockstar (much like the judge in the OJ Simpson case) and had decided to take a course of action which was actually completely illegal. Roman stayed until it became very clear that this judge was going off the legal rails and was going to be unfair to him, and then he left. Now, mind you, that doesn’t mean he couldn’t have come back later on and faced the music once that judge was removed from the case, but at the time, he actually had some justification for fleeing.
He had no justification for leaving other than he is a punk who cant man up and serve his time. REGARDLESS of the judges actions, Polanski was guilty. He himself admits he is guilty! He is scum!
WTF is he talking about any way, I’m not insulted by being given flowers or someone opening my door but just because I accept doesn’t mean I am sleeping with you.
And ITA with most comments here about his history.
Can he really speak to gender roles while he’s wearing high heeled boots??
Can he really speak to gender roles while he’s wearing high heeled boots?
I will say this. Because he is so good at making movies, I will support him and watch him movies AFTER he served the 15-20 years of jail time he deserve for raping a child.
I think he was referring to Jodi Foster
Rapist, Asshole, Rapist, Douchebag, Rapist,Sexist Troll, Rapist, Oh yes did I mention he’s a rapist………….
+1 times infinity! He is such a scumbag!
Well, since he misses the time when men could really act like men, let him spend a little time in jail, with the big guys who have a thing for pedophiles….maybe they’ll bring him flowers afterward.
Says the man who drugged and raped a 13 year old girl? This is a man who obviously couldn’t handle a real woman and had to resort to drugging and raping a child to gain the kind of compliance he needs to get off. Why would he think anyone would ever take anything he says about women seriously?