Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired

Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired (2008)

[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1157705/]

The Gist:

This is a documentary about the oft discussed trial of Roman Polanski for rape that resulted in Roman leaving the country before he could be sentenced. Just last year, Roman was turned over to America by the Swiss government just as he was traveling to the Zurich Film Festival to accept a lifetime achievement award. That surreal juxtaposition is something that is inherently intrinsic in the case of Roman Polanski, a man who unconsciously provokes sympathy. The documentary focuses as much on the actual events leading to the trial as certain miscarriages of justice that took place in the trial itself. The most pointed criticism of the judge of the case came from the information that he tried to pressure the lawyers into "acting" decisions already made beforehand in chambers just to look better to the press. And yet, with all that aside one's mind immediately focuses on the word rape (which he was never going to be charged with, interestingly enough. That charged was dropped and what he stood to serve time on was the unlawful sex with a minor [still, 13 years old, hard to stomach]). As difficult as that is to understand, the audience is also given the information that Polanksi was a holocaust survivor, that his pregnant wife was brutally murdered by the Manson family and he was still in psychological shock from the incident during the encounter in question, and that there are possible cultural differences in regards to age and sex. You also have the fact that the woman in question has publicly forgiven him and has said she doesn't want anything more to happen to him. I can't tell people what to feel about any of this because it's definitely raw material. I don't even know what I feel. However, it is a good documentary to clear up some misconceptions about the whole thing.