ROMAN POLANSKI: WANTED AND DESIRED (TV)
Summary
This documentary film is about director Roman Polanski, who fled the United States in 1978 in the midst of his highly-publicized criminal rape case. The program begins with an old interview with Polanski in which he is asked about his fondness for “young women.” He explains that he fled America because of a “very unfortunate” situation with an unfair judge. Producer and friend Andrew Braunsberg talks about his shock at hearing of Polanski’s arrest for rape, initially believing it to be impossible. The LAPD and assistant district attorney comment upon their introductions to the case, in which Polanski photographed a 13-year-old girl at the home of actor Jack Nicholson in March 1977. He proceeded to give her champagne and Quaaludes and then sexually assaulted her despite her protests. He was questioned shortly thereafter, and the semi-nude photographs were found on his camera, and the policemen recall his agitated state at the time, suggesting that he was unfamiliar with American laws and thought he could “talk his way out of it.” The press soon descended on the scene in a “feeding frenzy,” and the American and European press presented very differing depictions of Polanski: in Europe, he was seen as a talented, tragic figure, whereas in America he was a foreigner and “the perfect villain.”
Polanski’s history and early life is then explored, starting with his birth in France and childhood in Poland, during which his mother died at Auschwitz. He developed an early love of movies, citing “Snow White” as an influence, and eventually moved to London, which was at the time a swinging, exciting city “with no limits.” He quickly gained fame for his films and met actress Sharon Tate, whom he married in 1968. His defense attorney Douglas Dalton then returns to the subject of the criminal case, stating that it “will never leave him.” Prosecutor Roger Gunson, allegedly chosen for the sensational case because of his “dignified” and conservative Mormon nature, is also profiled. Judge Laurence J. Rittenband, on the other hand, was less reserved than the lawyers and is described as being like a “tyrannical director” who “loved the press” and kept a scrapbook of news stories mentioning him. His much younger former girlfriends share their memories of him, and he is described as a “hammer” who dealt out harsh sentences. Meanwhile, the American press kept the victim’s name under wraps, but in Europe, Samantha Gailer (now Geimer) was “hunted” by the media, and she vents her frustrations over not being believed and the traumatic interrogation process, explaining that it was worse than the incident itself. Gunson describes how he noticed a symbolic theme of “corruption” in all of Polanski’s films, including the scandalous “Rosemary’s Baby,” and actress Mia Farrow comments on Polanski’s “infectious” passion. She describes his relationship with Tate as being a positive, stabilizing force in his life, which came to a horrible end when she and their unborn son were murdered by the Manson family in August 1969. Braunsberg describes seeing Polanski “disintegrate” upon learning of her death; he was subsequently implied by the press to have been involved in the cultish murders. His subsequent films, including “Chinatown,” reflect the “dark shadow” hanging over his life, and he comments in an interview about his hatred of the press because of their lies and manipulative behavior.
In 1976, he entered into a relationship with the teenaged Nastassja Kinski, whom he “discovered,” and Geimer explains that she too was interested in acting and met with him for this reason. She notes that many over the years have blamed her mother for allowing their interaction, which she dislikes. After the incident, he initially pled not guilty, but then after the girl’s underwear was entered as damning evidence, changed to a plea bargain, claiming consensual sex. He was then examined by a psychiatrist to determine if he was a “MDSO,” or mentally disturbed sex offender, and Dr. Ronald Markman explains that Polanski was certainly damaged by his childhood and the loss of his wife, but was not disturbed. Rittenbrand, however, uncertain upon learning that Polanski’s team would surely appeal any sentence of jailtime, took his district attorney’s advice and ordered a 90-day observation at Chino State Prison, after which he would be formally sentenced, likely with probation. Both Dalton and Gunson opposed the use of the examination as punishment, but Rittenbrand bizarrely instructed them to make their requests in open court as a sort of “mock trial” for the press. Polanski was given three months to finish his current film, after which he would report to the prison for the 90-day observation. He had “contempt” for the script of “Hurricane,” but he needed to pay his legal bills and producer Dino de Laurentiis was thrilled to land the famous director for the picture. During filming, Polanski attended Oktoberfest with some friends, and while there he was photographed partying with a few young women. Rittenbrand took the cavalier image as a sign of defiance and, embarrassed, ordered him back to the United States and sent him to Chino. There he had a protective detail and continued work on “Hurricane,” and he was released after only 42 days. Before giving his official sentence, however, Rittenbrand stated that he was worried about the press’ reaction to the idea of probation and debated deporting Polanski or issuing more jail time beyond the extra 48 days. Upon learning of the judge’s questionable behavior, Polanski fled to Paris on 1 February 1978. Rittenbrand held a press conference, a surprising move for a judge, and said he would sentence him “in absentia.” Eventually, Dalton had Rittenbrand disqualified from the case on the grounds of bias. Geimer states that Rittenbrand cared more about the press than he did about her or Polanski, and Gunson says that he was “not surprised” that Polanski chose to flee. Polanski rebuilt his life in France, eventually remarrying and having children, unable to return to America, even to collect his Oscar for “The Pianist” (2002). Geimer publicly forgave Polanski in 1997 after a civil suit, and Dalton and Gunson even attempted to retry the case, but miscommunication over whether the trial would be televised led this to be dropped, leaving the case still unresolved.
Details
- NETWORK: HBO
- DATE: June 9, 2008 9:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:39:44
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: 100444
- GENRE: Documentary
- SUBJECT HEADING: Documentary; Criminal investigation; Directors
- SERIES RUN: HBO - TV, 2008
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Steven Soderbergh … Executive Producer
- Randy Wooten … Executive Producer
- Nick Fraser … Executive Producer
- Sheila Nevins … Executive Producer
- Nancy Abraham … Senior Producer
- Lila Yacoub … Producer
- Jeffrey Levy-Hinte … Producer
- Marina Zenovich … Producer, Writer, Director
- P.G. Morgan … Co-Producer, Writer
- Michelle Sullivan … Associate Producer
- Joe Bini … Writer
- Mark Delgi Antoni … Music by
- Andrew Braunsberg
- Douglas Dalton
- Dino De Laurentiis
- Samantha Geimer
- Roger Gunson
- Mia Harrow
- Nastassja Kinski
- Ronald Markman
- Jack Nicholson
- Roman Polanski
- Laurence J. Rittenbrand
- Sharon Tate