The Adjustable Productions Business Blog

Sometimes I just can not figure out what is going on in the minds of those who are given the most attention in the media. Right now, the BBC reports that there has been an “outcry” against the detention of Roman Polanksi in Switzerland in accordance with their extradition agreements with America. The BBC reports that the French minister, Frederic Mitterand, has said “a scary America” has just “shown its face”. They report that British novelist Robert Harris described the arrest as “disgusting treatment”. They also report that the Swiss Director’s Association have also criticised the arrest. Apparently they called it “not only a grotesque farce of justice, but also an immense cultural scandal”. And don’t forget about the Swiss newspaper, Blick: “Switzerland let a guest walk into a nasty trap. We should be ashamed,”.

How blinkered, deranged and completely aloof these people are to think that trying to bring this man to account is unacceptable. Let us just be reminded of the facts. He was left alone in charge of a 13 year old girl whom he was photographing for a feature in Vogue magazine. He got her drunk on champagne and fed her quaaludes, and then undressed her and sexually assaulted her despite her protestations. He was tried and convicted and then absconded from the country prior to sentencing. There is no question of his guilt. If a man has done something, been convicted with overwhelming evidence in a country with a relatively highly regarded legal system, and then has hidden in other countries to avoid sentencing, surely those countries have been offering him shelter from justice? How can anyone suggest that he had been a “guest” who was “walking into a trap”?

Why do they think it is so wrong that he be arrested and face extradition? Are they stark staring bonkers? Do they not think it is right that people that commit such crime face the punishment? Do they think that because he is a famous director and regarded an artiste that he should be allowed to do such things? Maybe they think it is the girl’s fault? Or maybe it is just part of the culture in some parts of the media, politics and showbiz that it is ok to abuse young girls and boys?

I mean, it would be understandable to come to that conclusion if you look at the way the industry has treated Polanksi since he took flight. He has subsequently been welcomed as a stage director. He has directed blockbuster films for Warner Brothers and TriStar and subsidiaries of NBC and New Line Cinema. Those films have starred the likes of Walter Mattheau, Harrison Ford, Hugh Grant, Sigourney Weaver, Ben Kingsley and Johny Depp. Oh and I almost forgot, he has also won the Palme D’or and last year, Hollywood honoured him with an Oscar in his absence.

All of these companies, individuals and awards bodies have agreed to work with a fugitive on the run from facing sentencing for a sex attack on a 13 year old child.

Let me just clarify that: This is not even one of those cases where you can say “well, he paid his debt to society” because he didn’t. He did a runner. The man is a convicted fugitive.

So maybe we should not be suprised that the industry rallies around him when he finally looks as if he will face sentencing. Perhaps because he is ‘one of there own’ they are happy to overlook these things?

Written by Robert Wheeler

This entry was posted on Monday, September 28th, 2009 at 1:56 pm and is filed under Media madness. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.