Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Ghosts of the past

When Roman Polanski's film The Ghost Writer was released, I would rant against the director whenever the media (trailers on TV, in the theater, posters in the mall, etc.) reminded me of this fact. I would announce--to anyone who was in the vicinity and would offer their ears--my boycott of the movie and offer a denouncement of anyone who volunteered to work with the man.

And now Roman Polanski is essentially a free man. Not that he wasn't really free before. He still lived his life of privilege; he just couldn't come back to the US.

The response of certain media types to the whole situation is somewhat appalling. Some people seem to feel that Polanski has done nothing wrong, or that his position somehow makes what he did acceptable on some level.

But, as Kate Harding reminds us, "Polanski raped a child."

I'm considering a boycott of any movie featuring anyone who has worked with Polanski since 1977, since working with him in a way says that the actor or actress condones what the director did. I realize it would make no difference in the world and would probably seriously limit the movies I could watch, but sometimes I feel we need to take some sort of stand, no matter how small.

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