Showing how out of touch many Hollywood filmmakers continue to be with mainstream values, a large group of Hollywood bigshots are showing their support for releasing famed director Roman Polanski from prison.
CNN.com reported on why the director of "Chinatown" and "The Pianist" was arrested recently: "The filmmaker pleaded guilty in 1977 to having unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor but fled before he could be sentenced...The filmmakers [who signed this petition] objected to his being arrested en route to the film festival, which held a tribute to him this year." CNN.com also noted that several many famous respected contemporary directors including Martin Scorcese, David Lynch, Woody Allen signed the petition.
Liberal columnist Eugene Robinson from the Washington Post, who I seldom agree with, had a powerful column yesterday criticizing those who take pity on Polanski. Robinson wrote the following about the famed director:
This isn't about a genius who is being hounded for flouting society's hidebound conventions. It's about a rich and powerful man who used his fame and position to assault -- in every sense, to violate -- an innocent child.
And it's about a man who ran away rather than face the consequences of his actions. Before any sentence could be imposed, he absconded like a weasel to live a princely life in France. Before celebrities sign the Polanski petition, they should try to evaluate the reprehensible accusations against the director and the implications of his guilty plea before they openly advocate for his release.
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