quote:Originally posted by THE Franta: I never said that I agreed with Bush just that it was ironic that the same egos tsk tsking Bush support a pedofile.
You blasted other celebrities for doubting Bush and argued that since he's the President he knows what he's doing.
quote:And as bsams says your past doesnt give you the right to abuse a child.
Never said it did.
quote:If he really is sorry and regrets what he did and the victim forgave him (without money changing hands) then why didnt he face the music inn a court of law?
Elaborate on "face the music".
The reason he gives for fleeing is simple. He was willing to serve his time in a facility, but he asked that he not be placed in a prison as he was traumatized by his experiences in Auschwitz during WW2(a phobia that thousands of Nazi work-camp survivors have demonstrated). He cooperated with authorities throughout the trial, hoping that they would respect at least that wish. When it looked as if the judge would sentence him to time in a jail anyway, he left.
quote:WOW! What punishment banished to a mansion...phew...poor guy...
In addition to never being able to set foot in the United States again, Polanski was forced to spend more than 6 weeks in a psychiatric ward(and several nights in a jail cell while being transported) undergoing dozens of tests to see if he was mentally unbalanced. Of course, he'll also forever be associated with statutory rape, tarnishing his image, and severely limiting the amount of money he could have made(no endorsements, no grants or public funding for film teaching, not as many movies as he has to keep a relatively low profile, etc).
Now, before you say "oh gee so he only makes a few million dollars, poor bastard!" or "and this excuses him from raping a girl?", or make similar comments....no, it doesn't excuse him, no, you shouldn't(and I'm sure you won't) feel sorry for him, and no, he's not living in poverty.
However, it is punishment, and probably a good deal more severe than you may think. It's not like he just walked away, got off completely scot-free, and everyone else was none the wiser.
quote:You must have an extensive collection of John Wayne Gacy's Clown paintings in your home....or wait does he have to be popular BEFORE his crime to appreciate his work?
I have seen some of his clown paintings and self portraits. He's no Robert Owen, but that's ok....
quote:Originally posted by the G-man: Someone correct me if I am wrong, but it appears from the articles that Ford befriended Polanski many years after the rape occurred.
They knew each other vaguely beforehand(Ford was still an "up and coming" actor at the time), and became great friends after working together on Frantic in '89, yes.
Again, let me say; I personally wouldn't want to associate with Polanski, nor would I want my family to. However, I'm not going to hold it against others. It's their choice, and I don't take responsibility for them.
quote:There is no evidence that Polanski has reformed.
He hasn't been accused or convicted of any crimes since. What would you consider to be evidence of reformation?
quote:By befriending him, Ford is sending a message that he doesn't think child rape is a big deal.
That's ridiculous.
quote:Furthermore, the fact that Kazan's award was more controversial than Polanski's to the academy raises an even more interesting question: has Hollywood become so liberal that child molesters are more easily tolerated that anti-communists?
I'm sure there were those that didn't applaud Polanski.
I think it was stupid of Nolte and Harris to be so pigheaded, but the fact is, Kazan still got an award, and it was well deserved.
quote:I think you're off the mark here on two levels, if I am reading you correctly.
You're not; the comments you quoted were in reference to Woody Allen's relationship with Soon-Yi Previn, not Polanski.
quote:Originally posted by thedoctor: Just to clarify, the award was for Best Director, meaning that it was given to Polanski alone and ignored the work of everyone else.
Right you are, it was my mistake. Chicago won best picture, despite being a piece of crap.
quote:Originally posted by Nowhereman: I hope one day some guy anal rapes you & lets see you defend him & say he`s not evil. Rapists are scum & do not deserve to even be making films let alone recieve awards for it!
You hope that? You honestly hope I'm anal raped by a man? That sounds pretty evil in itself, Nowhereman.
I never said Roman Polanski was or wasn't evil. I wasn't passing judgement on him either way. I think the only way I could really pass that kind of judgement(say whether or not a person is evil) would be to know his intentions, and I can't determine that as I wasn't there when it happened. And neither were you.
quote:But you`ll quite happily line his pockets with silver!
Will I? I didn't pay to see The Pianist. Or Ninth Gate. Or Frantic. I've never purchased or rented tapes of such videos, either.
I don't know how exactly Polanski is compensated(if it all) for his directing. He could simply be paid outright, and not receive a share of the profits. I'm not sure.
quote:So why is he allowed to make money on the USA if he is a convicted criminal who refuses to serve his sentence? His films should not even be allowed to make money in the US.
Well, there would be other people that you'd be denying the money, too(and not just wealthy actors and actresses). The movie industry is pretty cutthroat, and a lot of your success in it is dependant on pure luck. If you get the chance to break through in a Roman Polanski movie(and when you're desperate, like a lot of aspiring actors/actresses are), but then nobody in the U.S sees it and you aren't paid nearly as much and don't get nearly as much exposure, is that fair?
