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As film director Roman Polanski remains in Swiss custody, after being arrested on a U.S. arrest warrant for the 1977 rape of a 13-year-old, his moviemaking brethren are rallying to his side. A number of notable film notables, including Martin Scorsese, Woody Allen, David Lynch, Jonathan Demme, and Pedro Almodovar, have reportedly signed a petition demanding his release. However, it's unlikely he'll be released on bail anytime soon.
The LA Times reports that though Polanski's lawyers are trying to free him, "such releases are rare for nonresidents in Switzerland, who are generally deemed to be flight risks. And given the lengthy extradition and appeals process, Polanski faces jail time far in excess of the 42 days he already served in Los Angeles back when the charges against him arose." One lawyer guesses he could be in Swiss lockup for a few months. Referring to the 42 days he already served, Polanski rep says that the filmmaker has already done his duty.
The LA County DA's office may have been annoyed by Polanski's lawyers' claim (in court papers to get the charges dropped) that the LA authorities weren't trying to apprehend him and produced a list of the places they tried to arrest the Oscar-winning director. Still, even the Swiss foreign minister said that the arrest "lacked finesse": "She said Switzerland could have acted with more tact because Polanski was in Switzerland for the film festival, where the country's culture minister was also booked as a guest to deliver a speech."
Still, one film director thinks Polanski needs to face justice: Luc Besson said, "This is a man who I love a lot and know a little bit. Our daughters are good friends. But there is one justice, and that should be the same for everyone. I will let justice happen... I don’t have any opinion on this, but I have a daughter, 13 years old. And if she was violated, nothing would be the same, even 30 years later."
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how nice of woody allen, etc. to endorse this man who RAPED A CHILD...that creep should do time in jail
I don't think Woody Allen has a leg to stand on here....
yeah, no kidding. he's pretty close to being a pedophile himself.
woody allen is not exactly a great character reference in this particular case
Yeah. I also wanted to note I completely agree with Luc Besson. There is one justice for all, why should Polansky get a free pass? Because he is great director?
No, he should pay, just as any famous or powerful person who commits a crime and as well as any regular joe.
fine...one justice for all. problem is, polanski is getting different justice. the da's office agreed to a plea bargain and then was preparing to reneg on the deal AFTER polanski did his part and pled guilty to the reduced charge. the judge was going to go hard after polanski precisely because he was a celebrity. that's why the "no special treatment" angle fails here - he's actually getting it worse than you or i would.
You wouldn't do just 42 days for drugging and raping a 13 year-old girl.
well lucky for him he was a rich french citizen. that happens to lots of people in our justice system, but i don't see woody allen picking up their causes.
No proof that he was going to reneg, and so what - there was a crime committed, he plead guilty, and fled before sentencing. He should get the max for the crime, and add'l time for flight from justice. Where's Sean Penn in all this, his voice of realism is sadly missing.
Plea bargains are deals between the prosecutor and the defense - they are NOT binding on the judge, who is free to hand down whatever sentence he/she wishes, irregardless of the deal.
In confessed child rapist Polanski's case, 42 days in a cushy private mental hospital was a ridiculously short sentence - so the judge changed his mind and voided the deal, as was his legal right.
"This is a man who I love a lot and know a little bi"
It doesn't sound like he's a little bi.
We're sure he'd like to get to know and love you too! Especially, if you're 12 or 13 years old.
With friends like Woody...
to all filmakers: selfish bastards!
Where'd my comment go?
Mine too!
mine went *poof!*
Mine got the chop too.
Of course Woody Allen would defend Polanski
Makes you wonder what directors would petition for Michael Bay's release if he did what Polanski did.
Tyler Perry ?
Renny Harlin ?
Guy Ritchie ?
Jason Friedberg & Aaron Seltzer (Epic Movie, Date Movie, ect.)
How about Spielberg? No comment from him ...
I believe Spielberg has a huge family and might not be inclined to defend a pedophile in public.
so do the others directors ...
Roman Polanski is such a great artiste, why should he have to spend time in jail for raping a child? Just look at how much he has contributed to the world of cinema over the years. That should really be taken into account as to whether he should be tried for his crime.
JOKE
You seen to joke alot__and its no joke! Refrain from you meaningless dribble. You, and your tastless opinion, comments or jokes are all insignificant!
A trial and possible jail time would hinder his efforts to contribute high art cinema.
JOKE
In case you needed any more proof that the entertainment industry has no morals...
Next time you are thinking about shelling out $12 for the latest Scorsese flick, think twice. "Let's go see Almodovar's latest?" No, he thinks raping a 13 year-old girl is just fine, so let's not.
What if Polanski just became a has been hack making cheap films that went straight to DVD many years ago?
Or if he just couldn't work anymore because his films just aren't any good and lose money?
How many of those names would be on that petition?
Is this a petition for justice or good taste?
Soon Yi is like, all pissed, because she never got 'ludes first.
If we can put a star WR in jail for accidentally shooting himself in the leg, surely we can put a star director in jail for fucking a 13-yr old.
Anyone who would defend or downplay the drugging and raping of a child by a middle aged man has a sick soul and a diseased mind.
Agreed.
I'm not defending Polanski, I'm really not.
But if my very pregnant wife, two weeks from her due date, was stabbed sixteen times by the Manson family and her blood used to write "PIG" on my door for no particular reason than that I lived at the former home of someone Manson hated, and knowing that as she begged for the life of the unborn child she was told "Look, b*tch, I have no mercy for you. You're going to die and you'd better get used to it," I might make some seriously questionable decisions for a while afterwards. Just sayin.
Wrong use of hyperbole, but I think we understand your point.
No exaggeration at all. Documented fact, all of it.
And in his place, I suspect I'd do some effed up shit. If it were illegal effed up shit, I'd have to take responsibility for that and pay my debt to society. That's how it works.
I thought they used her blood to write "rise". Either way, I doubt that little situation had very much bearing on Polanski's behavior NINE YEARS LATER.
Again, no one asks this now grown woman where her parents were at the time of the incident ... I want to know what kind of mother and/or father leave a 13 year old with ANY MAN alone in a house!!
the comment about blaming the mother for the acts of Polanski is absurd.
In deed the mother is guilty of endangerment,
but Polanski is a little fuck of his own!
He is not innocent because this girl had a reckless mother!
So one reckless mother makes one innocent predator?
Fuck NO!
Retarded.
First of all, I did not say he is innocent, so learn how to read. Secondly, know it all, you are a judge and jury. Most of you were ready to fry the Hofstra boys that pig had fucked until she heard about a video of her gang-bang. So please, unless you see things happen with your own eyes do not always believe everything you read on the news!!
Accept your statement of not defending Polanski as a qualifier. Yes, such trauma might influence some bad decision-making. But also such reasoning would provide an excuse to anyone who experienced 9/11 to drug and bugger 13 year-old children. Based on his later behavior & accomplishments, he was not a destroyed PTSD victim. He was a child molester who fled the country to avoid punishment. The only reason he is receiving support from others is that he is a high-acheiving white affluent artistic child molester. And the "artistic" community knows no bounds in their blinders. Send him back, keep him in custody as a flight risk, drop the plea, try him and, if convicted, he should pay the penalty. Shame on the artistic community for objecting to his apprehension during their frigging artsy festival. We're talikn' child rapists, guys.
And F the Swiss, especially their foreign minister. There's no need for "finesse" when you're nailing a child molester. Let's send a few thousand of our imprisoned molesters & rapists over there & see how his sensibilities hold up. They can stick their "tact" up his daughter's butt.
This man needs to face his accusers.
Funny the comments coming from Luc Besson since he got his big break pimping out Natalie Portman as every pedo's fantasy in The Professional.
NTTAWWT.
LOVED that movie.
Ditto; great movie!!
the media is really out of step with the people - why are we debating this - he committed a crime and Never faced justice...
Good story on it here:
http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/roman-polanski/story?id=8705958
He drugged and raped a 13-year-old, including anally, over her protests, after previously photographing her topless. Dirtbag, go straight to jail.
fame makes people take part on favor of Polanski in spite of his crimes (PLURAL), he did not only confessed raping the girl, but FLED justice when it was too much to face!
Double fckr!
But yes his lame ass movies make him a saint in the head of the faint at soul, selfishness has this country in the craphole!
Fame isn't really the issue.
Iron Mike Tyson did 3 years for raping an 18 year old under questionable circumstances. I don't remember other boxers demanding his release.
expeculating on the defense of Polanski:
perhaps fame as something linked to the arts (film in this case),and then thinking about arts as some sort of sublimation of the human spirit where the artist is beyond good an evil... let's say that the artist are probably projecting this self-sublimation onto Polanski, they are thinking art makes excuse for shitty behavior. Also thinking that he legal system is always politically motivated and, them as artist, are in charge of protecting the subversive role of the artist.
I just think they are just being selfish egomaniacs with low regard for the system, BUT definitely not artists!
There is no art in Polanski's acts or those from his defenders; pure ego.
Makes you wonder what skeletons Martin Scorsese, Woody Allen, David Lynch, Jonathan Demme, and Pedro Almodovar have in their closet that would make them feel guilty enough to defend a piece of shit like Polanski...
Well, we all know what Woody Allen's deal is - like confessed child rapist Roman Polanski, Allen has perverted desires for little girls!
He raped a 13 year old girl with Qualudes, then fled the country after a conviction. This is a slamdunk case against him. I'd be amazed if Switzerland can even produce a single valid reason not to extradite him.
Hey guys! A special edition Chinatown DVD is being released this week. It's not like he'd get himself arrested to plug some special edition DVD or anything, right? Right?