It is just in the news that 76 year old Roman Polanski has been arrested. The French Ministry is outraged and his fellow filmmakers have demanded to know why he was invited to Zurich for a Lifetime Achievement Award and then suddenly arrested by the Swiss, in a country he even maintains a permanent home. More on that later.
Polanksi has directed such great films as Rosemary's Baby, Chinatown, The Pianist, and Macbeth. This is ostensibly and rather ridiculous over a thirty year old child molestation case that seems rather sketchy to begin with and which has always struck me as more of a set up case of blackmail than a legitimate case.
But all of that belies the utter tastelessness of this move by the Swiss embassy. Various members of the French Government, where Polanski hold primary citizenship were angered, The French Culture Minister made this public statement:
the desire of the French authorities that the rights of Mr. Polanski be fully respected and that this affair rapidly find a favorable resolution.
And President Sarkozy has also issued a statement ordering their release meanwhile his home country of Poland is reiterating its request to Washington to formally issue a pardon on the decades old case.
What is most ridiculous about this case is that LA Law Officials are still wasting time and money pursuing Polanski, they sent in the request for expatriation to Switzerland.
"Any time word is received that Mr. Polanski is planning to be in a country that has an extradition treaty with the U.S., we go through diplomatic channels with the arrest warrant," said Sandi Gibbons, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office.
I want to know more than anything why Los Angeles is still wasting time and manpower on this case, more than thirty years old, considering all the other problems the city has and this thirty plus year old case. I remember a line from Music Box, another good movie, "We should worry about the grandson's, not the grandfather's".
I am just disappointed to see authorities still haranguing the 76 year old film maker. Polanski is an old man, this sort of treatment is totally unacceptable and spits in the face of his status in Europe and the shakiness of the original case. What's more the past needs to be let die sometimes, even the supposed victim has said for many years she has forgiven and forgot about the affair. One of the things I don't understand most of all is why Switzerland is making this move, Polanski has come and gone there for decades he even owns a house. Regardless, it seems trashy to arrest him at a lifetime achievement award that they invited too, and many people are furious over the lack of respect it showed. Polanksi deserves more respect than this; it is quite obvious that this three decade witch-hunt has run long enough. I advise any one interested in this, anyone offended by this lack of respect, this zealotry, to lobby for his release or lobby for a pardon after all these long years of being hounded around the world and kept from returning home.
P.S. Its routine, please vote in the poll even if you don't care I really appreciate it so I can see how many people read it. Its nice to have some evidence you are not talking to a brick wall around here ;)