"Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired". See it.

The documentary film "Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired" premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and spotlights the film-maker's 1978 trial for having sex with a 13-year-old. I watched the HBO premiere yesterday and my eyes and attention were never diverted.

Polanski is an Academy Award-winning film director, writer, actor and producer. After beginning his career in Poland, Polanski became a celebrated arthouse filmmaker, and Hollywood director of such films as Rosemary's Baby (1968) and Chinatown (1974). Polanski is considered as one of the world’s great film directors. He won the Oscar for The Pianist in 2003.

In 1977, Polanski, then aged 44, became embroiled in a scandal involving 13-year-old Samantha Geimer (then known as Samantha Gailey). It ultimately led to Polanski's guilty plea to the charge of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor, a plea bargained, lesser charge. Before sentencing, Polanski was tipped off that the judge was going to disregard the plea bargain, in which case he would likely have faced a 50-year prison sentence. On February 1, 1978, Polanski fled to London, then to France. Consistent with its extradition treaty with the United States, France refuses to extradite its own citizens. The United States government could have requested that Polanski be prosecuted on the California charges by the French authorities, but this option has not been pursued. (Don't quite understand that one.)

In a 2003 interview, Samantha Geimer said, "Straight up, what he did to me was wrong. But I wish he would return to America so the whole ordeal can be put to rest for both of us." Furthermore, "I'm sure if he could go back, he wouldn't do it again. He made a terrible mistake but he's paid for it".

Key, I believe, in this documentary's success are the interviews of many of the principals involved - Samantha Geimer, the prosecuting attorney, the defence attorney and others. Unfortunately, Polanski was not interviewed and the judge who presided over the case is dead.

I'm more familiar with the Sharon Tate angle in the story (Polanski's wife who was murdered by Manson family members in 1969 - look for a post on Sharon under, "Women Celebs I Love #5 above this post) than I am with Polanski's case but a number of details about the case I was previously unaware of. I won't spoil it for you in the event you do see it. What I will say is this - the judge on this case not only did a disservice to Samantha Geimer, but to Roman Polanski as well. And both the prosecuting attorney and the defense attorney agreed on this. Roman had sex with a 13-year-old - it was wrong. But the behavior on the bench by the judge was a breach in ethics. Just watch the movie.

(from police records)
Sharon Marie Polanski (nee Tate) , 10050 Cielo Drive, female Caucasian, 26 years, 5-3, 135, hazel eyes and blond hair. 16 stab wounds to the body - 4 or 5 of these would have been fatal. Victim's occupation is actress and for the last two years had been married to Roman Polanski, director-producer for Paramount Studios. At the time of her death, she was eight months pregnant with her first child - a boy.

Both the prosecuting and defense lawyer for Roman revisited the case in 1997. A judge in 1997 told lawyers that if Polanski returned to the U.S. he would serve no more time in custody; however, the judge insisted that the hearing be held 'in public, on the record and in open court.' Given the possibility that it would be televised, Polanski declined. ( I don't understand that one either.)

Polanski, 74, remains a fugitive from US authorities.