ROMAN POLANSKI COMING TO JUSTICE?

By BARCODE 2x

A year ago we took a quick look at Roman Polanski, as part of our 'Ethics in Art' investigation. The purpose of this large project is to examine the rights and wrongs of art and artists in our culture. Among the issues:

• Do artists deserve special privileges or protections?
• Can we protect the art, while damning the artist for their behaviors, or their horrible crimes?
• Is the world a better place for the artist having been in it?

No case in recent memory better illustrates the art-and-ethics conundrum like director Roman Polanski. The acclaimed director of Chinatown and The Pianist has been apprehended in Switzerland and now faces charges for his 1970s rape of a 13-year-old girl.

Polanski escaped justice by fleeing to Europe, and continued to make films through the years. His artistic achievements are considerable; Chinatown is consistently rated among some of the best films ever made, and his overall critical rating is largely favorable. Click here for an overview of his critical successes from www.rottentomatoes.com.

The girl was drugged and sodomized. She has made public statements asking the public to let the story go, to take the focus off of her. Polanski's controversy has followed him for years, though his work has won him support from actors and fellow directors. His work stands out among others. The Polanski defense is based on the quality of his work. No other rapist would ever receive such forgiveness or protection. The Polanski support base admires his work enough to want to let it go. Here are the questions we will look at:

In supporting a living artist who commits such crimes, are we actually complicit? On one hand, yes. In supporting Polanski through the simple act of buying tickets to his films, we are showing some sign of forgiveness. On the other hand, no. The artist's work and his life are arguably separate.

When we love a work of art enough, can we separate it from the transgressions of the artist? Lovers of film and art would argue that yes, we certainly can. The art has to be of a certain level of quality and importance, but through the years we have seen many artists continue to live freely and work freely after committing similar acts.

Is Polanski our generation's Gesualdo? A great artist who escaped justice for years and now faces judgment? Gesualdo has certain advantages over Polanski. Gesualdo, the famous composer who killed his wife and her lover, was a nobleman of the times, and exempt from the laws in this case. And he has the benefit of time. After hundreds of years, we have come to forgive his acts of murder, and appreciate the importance of his music. Polanski's work may not have the same impact on the world, over time.

Is Polanski a genius? Do the quality and impact of his films outweigh his crime? I don't know anyone who could say yes to that. He has made some great films. But he destroyed the life of a child. In the end, it's just a piece of art. Chinatown, in the end, is just a DVD on someone's shelf. The girl has grown, lived, and suffered. Polanski's artistic achievements are entirely irrelevant.

We now live in different times. We live in the age of the ultra-examined life. We live in a time when great artists may not continue to live freely. Polanski may never make a film again. He has enjoyed a long, illustrious career, but his impact may have seen its peak already. We do not know if his films will live on in history. We cannot tell if his work will attain grander stature after his death, 50 or 100 years from now. In the here and now, he faces justice for crimes committed in this country. He will now face justice, possibly punishment, and further exile. Polanski has lived outside the law for many years now, and his work must be examined against his life. Do we forgive? Do we forget? Is Polanski worthy of that?