ROMAN Polanski entertains the distinction of being not only one of the world's most fêted film directors, but also of being at the centre of two events that signalled the end of distinct eras in Hollywood history.
The first, and most famous, was t
he vicious 1969 slaying of his wife Sharon Tate at the hands of Charles Manson's Family. Along with the murder of an audience member at the Rolling Stones catastrophic Altamont festival, this is widely regarded as the moment when the peace and love vibe of the 1960s turned in on itself and imploded.
The second was his 1977 conviction for having unlawful sex with an underage girl, which highlighted the darkness lurking behind the hedonistic glamour of Hollywood's second golden age.
Polanski famously absconded to Europe before receiving sentencing, where he has remained ever since for fear of being arrested on US soil. This is as much as most people know about this tumultuous event, which is why the revealing Storyville documentary, Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired, proved so compelling.
Boasting access to fresh interviews with Polanski's prosecution and defence lawyers (and an industry friend implausibly named Hawk Koch), as well as the alleged rape victim Samantha Gailey, this was a thoroughly comprehensive dissertation on one of the most controversial celebrity trials of the 20th century.
In an effort to put Polanski's character and career in context, the film illustrated his remarkable voyage from Holocaust survivor to jubilant Hollywood potentate to grieving, anguished playboy. It reminded us that, prior to the trial, Polanski had already had an affair with 15-year-old Natassja Kinski. It also proved, beyond all reasonable doubt, that his trial was compromised by frenzied media interest and the self-interest of his judge.
An ageing roué who craved the spotlight, Judge Laurence J Rittenband emerged as the most curious figure in the whole sordid saga. A veteran of several previous celebrity trials, Rittenband seemed more concerned with his own image than in the fates of either Polanski or Gailey.
On two bizarre occasions, he instructed both the prosecution and defence teams to, in effect, stage a mock trial for public consumption, while promising to deliver an entirely different sentence behind closed doors.
At one stage, he even asked a shocked court reporter "What the hell do I do with Polanski?"
In the end, after hosting an entirely inappropriate press conference during the trial, Rittenband decided to imprison Polanski, mainly due to criticisms that he was being too lenient. This was when Polanski took a one-way flight to Europe, never to return.
A retrial in 1997 (as well as a public declaration of forgiveness from Gailey) eventually cleared Polanski of all charges, on the condition that he returned to a US court and allowed the event to be televised. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Polanski declined the offer.
This startling film offered a vivid argument against the validity of cases that unfold in front of the world's media. Polanski may well have been guilty, but his trial was a mockery of justice.
Former Doctor Who Sylvester McCoy cropped up in the latest episode of dreary daytime soap, Doctors, playing the star of a once-beloved children's programme about a time-travelling adventurer. It was all so self-referential it basically amounted to one big wink to camera. "It's a long time since I've saved the universe," sighed McCoy wistfully. Under his breath, I swear I could hear him muttering: "And now I'm reduced to rubbish like this."
The full article contains 594 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
