Roman Polanski from a PR perspective

I just finished watching The Ghost Writer with Ewan McGregor and Kim Cattrall. I hate to admit it, but as far as Polanski films go, it wasn’t his best work. The film did, however, get me thinking about Polanski the man. He has lived a fascinating and tumultuous life, and the historian in me has always wanted to write about him.

Roman Polanski. Image taken from Google.

Roman Polanski was born in Paris, France, in 1933. Two years before the Second World War broke out in 1945, Polanski’s parents relocated the family to their native Poland. This proved to be disastrous, and both of his parents were sent to concentration camps. Polanski’s mother later died in Auschwitz, but his father survived. Father and son were reunited after the war, which rarely happens and is incredibly lucky.

Polanski decided to become a director, and began studying at the Lodz Film School. He moved to Hollywood, and made his US debut with Rosemary’s Baby in 1968. The following year, in 1969, Polanski’s pregnant wife – Sharon Tate – was one of the victims murdered by infamous Mason Family. He fled to Europe to deal with his grief, and re-appeared with the release of Chinatown (starring Jack Nicholson) in 1974.

And here is where this fascinating account loses me...

On March 11, 1977, Polanski was arrested for the sexual assault of 13-year-old Samantha Geimer that occurred the day before at the residence of Jack Nicholson. On February 1, 1978, Polanski fled to France to avoid being sentenced. As a French citizen, he is protected from extradition treaties with the United States. Until recently, Polanski has been living and working as a director in countries that won’t extradite him.

On September 26, 2009, Polanski was taken into custody at the Zurich Airport in Switzerland. He was held under house arrest, until a California Superior Court Judge ruled he must return to the United States to be sentenced for his 1977 crime.

On January 22, 2010, it was reported that Samantha Geimer’s lawyer – Lawrence Silver – has asked a California appeals court to drop the case against Polanski. In April of 2010, a California appeals court denied Geimer's request to dismiss the charges. The court ruled that Geimer "has no right or authority to dictate the outcome of a criminal case."

Samantha Geimer, then and now.

So, what happened?

On July 12, 2010, Swiss authorities announced they WOULDN’T extradite Polanski to the United States. The reasoning was that U.S. officials didn’t provide them with necessary records (which were required to determine if a 42-day court-ordered psychiatric evaluation Polanski underwent back in 1977 constituted his entire sentence. This was apparently the understanding in Switzerland, and the judge who originally dealt with the case is now deceased).

In an interview in August, 2010, Samantha Geimer spoke on Larry King Live about how she has forgiven Polanski and wants the case to be dropped. She also talked about the fact that she is happy the Swiss authorities decided not to force him to return the United States. To read the article and watch the video clip, click here.

Currently, Polanski still can’t return to the United States. If he does, he will be convicted. The incident took place 32 years ago, but it is likely that Polanski won’t be allowed back ever again. He has won a number of Oscar’s – including Best Director for The Pianist in 2003 – but was unable to enter the United States to collect his prizes.

What do I think?

Polanski initially received horrible PR when the incident occurred. When his second wife – Sharon Tate – was murdered in 1969, sympathy was on his side. Then, when he was charged with sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl, the media turned on him. He was painted as a sleazy, Hollywood rapist, and many actors, directors, and producers were glad he took off for France.

Now, years later, I don’t know if I believe he should still be prosecuted. On the one hand, he did commit a crime. Polanski pled guilty to the charge of “unlawful sexual intercourse,” so had he stayed in the United States, he would have gone to jail. And, does it really matter how much time passes between the crime and the punishment?

But, on the other hand, his victim wants the charges to be dropped. Samantha Geimer has spoken about her desire to see Polanski left alone. It is the California appeals court who refuses to forget the matter. Shouldn’t the victim have the right to stop the proceedings? Especially over a decade later?

Geimer is definitely receiving positive PR in this situation. She is being gracious and understanding, and every news article I have read about her has only said good things. And, through his association with her, I believe Polanski is receiving positive PR as well. He can’t be such a bad guy if his victim wants to see him free. Can he?

I have been thinking about this issue ever since I heard Polanski was taken into custody in Switzerland in 2009. Now, over a year later, I still can’t make up my mind about how I really feel. The law is the law, and if someone commits a crime, they deserve to be prosecuted. The fact that Polanski fled instead of facing the music makes me angry. The fact that he went on to become an even more famous director than he already was is also frustrating. But, it has been a long time, and I think everyone is ready to move on.