October 3, 2009

Two sides to every story?

I tend to see things in black and white, to come down on one side or the other of an issue, problem, argument, etc., rather quickly. And then I'll read something or somebody will say something that shows me a different side of things.

I made up my mind pretty quickly about Roman Polanski, especially after reading excerpts from the questioning of the child/teenager. And I have yet to find the other side.

I've been hearing that lots of people, many of them in the movie industry, are defending Polanski. I guess the crux of their argument is not so much that what happened was ok, but that it happened a long time ago, and that he is a genius director, etc. I did enjoy The Pianist. But that doesn't help me to see the other side of this issue. And it's not because I hated Rosemary's Baby.

Thirteen. Several types of unwanted intercourse. Quaalude. Champagne.

To me these things just outweigh any defense Polanski, or Whoopi, or Half Pint, or Debra Winger (seriously?) can muster up.

Including genius. Scapegoat. Victim. It wasn't "rape-rape." Statutory (this was not an 18 year-old having sex with his 16 year-old girlfriend, which is what I think about when I hear "statutory).

Can anybody help me see Polanski's side? I know it can't be black and white, but I'm really having a hard time with it.....

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I don't see his side either. 13 = gross. He's just been avoiding the law all these years.
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It's Leslie..again to lazy to log in.
LOL

Carol Ann said...

Was listening to Howard this morning & they played a clip of Chris Rock talking on this subject. He said "13 is 13". Truth! There's no way to spin this to make it okay.

At least Woody Allen made an honest woman out of his adolescent sexual plaything.

String him up!