Art and Justice

Critically acclaimed film director Roman Polanski, 75, has requested that the charges against him be dismissed because of "prosecutorial and judicial misconduct." Polanski was charged in 1978 with having sex with a 13-year-old. He entered a guilty plea and then fled the country before sentencing. There is still an active warrant for his arrest. He has been living in voluntary exile ever since, also avoiding any country that might extradite him to the US. Apparently, the victim also wishes to see Polanski go free. More details can be found here.

Really, my interest in this story is how it relates to the things we, collectively as a society, let celebrities get away with and why. If he were any other individual, Polanski's request would be laughable. He would be summarily dismissed as a child molester and no one would even think twice about it. If he were any other individual he most likely would not have been able to flee the country and live in exile for thirty years, either. And if he were any other celebrity, I might suggest throwing him in prison...he faced life behind bars at the time of his flight. I am really not one for letting celebrities off the hook (especially those who drink and drive, they especially should be dealt with), but I find Polanski to be a difficult and fascinating case...

Roman Polanski is a celebrity of sorts, yes, a famous director. But he is also an incredible artist. He has made some phenomenal films in the years he has spent in exile; he has made great artistic contributions to society. He even won an Oscar in exile for The Pianist. So, while I don't think his status as "celebrity" should excuse him, should his status as artist? Would we be worse off as a culture for the loss of his contributions? Well, there would have been no Adrien Brody-Halle Berry smooch at the Oscars. The question, really, is are his contributions enough to constitute repayment of his debt to society?

It's very shady territory...and I don't think I really have a good answer.

I do not believe that art, even great art, should be a get out of jail free card. Especially when no one could have known what would Polanski would produce artistically post-1978. In hindsight, perhaps it would have been a crime against culture to send him to prison all those years ago? So what do we do now, 30 years later? Fortunately, it isn't a decision that I have to make. Especially as I gather there is more to this than just what I know--his claims about "prosecutorial and judicial misconduct" may have grounds. But he admits having done it, that much is clear. And since the aim of art is generally some kind of truth (as I'm not sure I believe in art for art's sake...though I could, I played a lot of cell phone Tetris during that class), isn't it hypocritical of us as artists to turn a blind eye? Aren't we, especially as film and theatre artists, here as a voice for the voiceless?

History has let artists commit similar sins while looking the other way. And we have been wealthier, culturally, as a result. Sometimes I think we let celebrities get away with things because we like to watch a train wreck--chances are that if they've done one outrageous and illegal thing, they are bound to do more. All this keeps us "entertained" and makes excellent fodder for tabloids and celebrity magazines. We're willing to let one person's life spiral apart so that the masses have something to talk about. But there is always collateral damage--nameless, faceless victims--that we don't consider.

Where do we draw the line?