This is a film review from the Melbourne International Film Festival 2008. To see all my reviews from the festival, go here.
My first film for The Film Festival and the first in a bracket of documentaries i will be watching. This one revolves around the story and court case of director Roman Polanski, who after being charged with having sex with a minor ends up fleeing the country in order to escape being fully prosecuted.
I found this film subtly controversial, seemingly skewed to a film festival sense of justice. The director creates strong illusions using edits and music that the entire court case was a sham and was able to portray the presiding judge as a media hungry bumbling idiot (made easier in the fact that the judge had died and thus can’t be interviewed). I’m not saying that either was in perfect working order, but I would say that the truth is certainly somewhere in the middle, perhaps something that the film could have tried harder to find.
This film worked works best when it’s giving you the straight facts of the story. Following the raise to fame of Polanski, then the downfall works well. Extracts from each party’s official court statements gives the feeling that neither is telling the whole truth.
Problems start arising for the film when we are made to understand that Polanski is undoubtedly guilty (and pleads guilty to one of the charges against him in part of a plea bargain) and we are shown the miscarriage of justice that apparently befell Polanski. Given that we was absolutely guilty of the charge I found it hard to have any sympathy for him at all.
The most powerful part of the film is the interview segment with the girl (now married with children) who was embroiled in the controversy. Hounded by the European Press at the time she is the one thing in the film that makes sense. Solid, straight to the point, no bullshit. It was a comfoprting thing to see.
See it for: All the great news footage of the media scrum that was shot on film. The mustaches on those reporters were fantastic.
The Darkside: The director’s heavy handed use of scapegoating.
The Last Word: It’s such a great story, it’s a shame this doco had to be sullied by an over zealous director.
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