Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired (2008)

Strong and Moving!

Better Late Then Never

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

Pedophilia! Shining legal star of our times! I think it is worse to be a pedophile in the anglo-saxon world then a murderer. Hack, murderers are wanted and desired to be sent to the wars in the Middle East these days, ah, well since they are the good guys, like an American Sniper, let us make pedophiles real monsters! Sufficient to say that those people receive harsh sentences and they are well mistreated in jails all over the world both by jailers and the inmates.Ms. Zenovich explores probably one of the most known cases in the world as far as pedophilia goes. Her documentary is a masterpiece, by all means, but as I understand it had Roman Polanski arrested in Switzerland, and even now if I understand he is under investigation in Poland as he is making his newest film. I am not sure did she intended for him to be hunted again? It is for her to answer.The whole case was ridiculous, by the twist of fate, if he stayed in the USA and got sentenced, he could of been sent to the same prison where murderers of his pregnant wife are serving their life sentences. I am glad that he escaped and I scream from the top of my lungs LEAVE HIM ALONE! Didn*t he suffer enough? He is a survivor of Auschwitz for Gods sake! All in all I recommend this film strongly since pedophilia is getting such attention these days, and documentary is very well done albeit I think it hurted Mr. Polanski.

This film does a fine job of what you'd normally see in court on behalf of a guilty defendant. It wastes copious amounts of time clouding a very simple issue. You did the crime. You fled like a thief in the night. Now you have to deal with the consequences of your crime against society. You can't simply pay off the victim. If that was the case then only the poor couldn't simply pay their way out of a crime.And on the suffering. The horrible Polanski suffering!!! You'll hear about what cruelty (yes, "cruelty") poor Roman had to go through by suffering in his chalet, making films and winning awards while others in the industry rally to his defense because that's the way they are. All having their skeletons in the closet which they want to be kept there with the support of the industry.Hurrah for the Swiss, the US and everyone else who wouldn't let this self-entitled film maker get whatever he wants and wash the issue under the carpet. He should have just subjected himself to the court and done whatever time he'd have to do. But he's above it all and the film portrays him as the victim. It gets a 3 because it's not an impartial documentary, despite the fact that it does provide a good deal of information about the issue.

For those who want a quick snapshot of the entire hullabaloo surrounding acclaimed director Roman Polanski and the slew of charges against him, one for having sex with a minor of 13 years, then this documentary by Marina Zenovich will present everything on a silver platter in digestible portions, though with any documentary, objectivity sometimes gets a little bit skewed. If you ask me for an opinion, I'm still a firm believer of serving time if done the crime, and under an imperfect system, there are always instances where we see the rich and the famous escape jail terms, like in Law Abiding Citizen which preached that truth is only what you can prove in a court of law.In presenting facts and the case itself, Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired did a brilliant job in establishing the premise and providing that broad background of the director and his life, which seemed to have been rooted in tragedy from his childhood days during the Holocaust, and including the senseless murder of his pregnant wife Sharon Tate under the hands of the Charles Manson family. Clips from his iconic films were also included, and parallels somehow uncannily drawn from his darker films to mirror the darker days of his life, which worked in emphasizing his twisted state of mind if you're standing on that side of the fence.Zenovich also spent considerable time painting the picture of the media frenzy which surrounded Polanski during his younger heydays, and especially during the trial, where a distinction was made between the European and American press, one still fascinated by yet another twist and turn in his life, while the latter firmly demonizing a stranger in their midst, whose demeanour and physical built made it almost perfect as that classical villain out to exploit the meek. It's a media circus built around the director's reputation, which served as a double edged sword according to some as it is this repute that allowed the sensationalism to hit the roof in terms of selling papers.What's more intriguing in this documentary, is how Zenovich assembled and presented the crux of the film, that on the appointment and backgrounds of the legal eagles handling the case, with talking head interview segments with the lawyers involved. It's a pity that the judge Laurence J Rittenband was not included in modern day interviews because of his passing, but from the archived clips, court documents and testimonies gathered, his is the key which probably made Polanski flee. After all, how can one trust a court presided by a judge with ulterior personal motives ranging from wanting to get the limelight from such a high profile case, to having personal emotions play such a huge part in deciding on punishment, and the benefits of lack thereof to personal reputation.It's down to Zenovich's skill in assembling the timeline of events, recounting court incidents and evidence that makes this documentary a compelling watch, especially when she launches into a tirade that questions the integrity of the judge through his gerrymandering of the entire legal process and the perversion of justice, and how a judge, competent or otherwise, holds plenty of cloud over the proceedings and punishment, despite flip-flopping on bargains and promises made.It's been decades since that faithful day of the deed, and both the director and the child back then had already moved on in their lives. It's quite clear that both want to put this episode behind them with even the victim forgiving Polanski, and public opinion as well as that of peers are divided between forgiveness and punishment nonetheless, it's interesting to see how things will develop hereon, after all it has been left hanging in the balance already for so long. Like I mentioned, this documentary somehow portrayed Polanski as a victim of an inconsistent court process yes, but you cannot deny that a crime is a crime, and one has to face the music, famous personality or not.

Roman Polanski was not exactly your prototype Good Polish Roman, but nevertheless he was and continues to be a brainy methodical film director who has lived quite an elevator life. Those highs and lows are chronicled in the indie documentary "Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired". The main lowdown on Polanski, unfortunately for him, is on his well-publicized case of having sexual relations with a 13-year-old female minor in the late 70's that consequently brought major problemas to the Roman congregation! His Chuckie "Child's Play" brought no chuckles to many. Before there was an "R. Kelly" there was a "R. Polanski"! OK, enough! Polanski was charged with counts of providing drugs to a minor, sexual relations with an underage person, and of rape. Through plea deal bargaining, Polanski ended up pleading guilty to one count of having sex with a minor. Romanito pulled a page from "The Fugitive" screenplay and fled the U.S. to Paris before his sentencing. Why not Rome, Roman? The escapist trap to Paris which Polanski pulled has many calling him the original "Ratatouille" himself. "Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired's" primary fixation is on the authoritative & unethical judicial control that Judge Laurence Rittanband presided over through the Polanski case. However, there is a bit more Polanskism to the doc including: his turbulent childhood as a Holocaust survivor, the murder of his wife Sharon Tate & unborn son by the hands of the Manson Family, and his directorial hits "Chinatown" & "Rosemary's Baby". "The Penis" (Oops! That was a Polanskian Slip of the Tongue!) I mean "The Pianist" was mentioned in the doc to a certain extent. Director Marina Zenovich does a credible job in spotlighting the eccentric nature of Polanski, but gets a bit too overwhelmed on Judge Rittanband's power trip! But maybe I am wrong, so I will let you be the judge of that. There is a lot to like and dislike about Polanski, and that is showcased in the documentary. You will be more intrigued by The Polanski after watching the documentary which will cause you to dwell into the Polanski "You Tube" files, with a few stops along the way at Sharon Tate & Charles Manson's "You Tube" video villages. Due to the Director's controversial nature, "Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired" will no be wanted and desired by many, but it is still recommended to visit Polanskiland for a good couple of hours. **** Good