Sympathy for the pedophile.

I finished watching the movie 'The Ghost Writer' mainly because it came so highly recommended by so many film critics and film watchers alike. It was a pretty good movie with some interesting plot twists but it was a thriller without a heckuva lot of thrills and it did run unnecessarily long. But I have to be honest with you... if I had known that convicted raping pedophile Roman Polanski had directed it, I probably wouldn't have watched it. I know this makes me look bad. I'm close minded and narrow minded. Seriously, this was over thirty years ago... get over it already. It was the 70's, the age of free love... sexually abusing kids was cool back then. Besides she consented. 13 year old girls make all kinds of wise critical decisions. Plus this cat made 'Chinatown' which should give him some leeway when it comes rape and pedophilia. No... no sir it does not. Roman Polanski is a convicted rapist and a pedophile, these simple facts are not up for debate, and after brokering a favorable plea deal he fled like bitch and has been on the run ever since. Still making movies, living the dream... as long as he doesn't venture over to the United States.

The main reason I had to write this was because after I read back my required review of 'The Ghost Writer' each time I referenced Polanski I prefaced his name with 'pedophile' or 'rapist' or 'child molester' which while completely true probably wasn't appropriate for that article. Since it was clear I had some things to deal with, I'll deal with it here.

It case you don't know the story a mother, who is not without blame, brings her 13 year old daughter to Jack Nicholson's crib for a photo shoot, Polanski plies the girl with booze and drugs and rapes her. Not statutory rape... rape. He's convicted, he flees. That's not cool. Over the years a lot of sympathy has been shunted Polanski's way by some of his Hollywood colleagues, particularly after his arrest in Switzerland where a petition was passed around and signed by some of his famous contemporaries to set the man free. Whoopi Goldberg made the comment that he should probably be exonerated since it wasn't 'rape-rape'. Whatever the hell 'rape-rape' is as opposed to not so bad 'rape' or maybe the even more abhorrent 'rape-rape-rape'. Washington post writer Anne Applebaum, who is clearly insane, comments that Polanski 'Did not know her real age', she mentions that Polanski had a rough upbringing being a child of the holocaust and pointed out that he's already paid his debt to society 'through lawyers fees' among other things. Hmmm, ignorance... not an excuse. Rough childhood... not an excuse. And having a lot of money to pay for lawyers doesn't equate to time served. But then that's just silly old me talking crazy.

Did Polanski deserve an Academy Award for 'The Pianist' back in 2003? Probably, it was a good movie. Did he deserve a freaking standing ovation? Hell no. What's wrong with these people? Jack Nicholson didn't stand. He's apparently opposed to forty year old dudes drugging and raping thirteen year old girls in his house. Asshole. A standing ovation for a bitch-ass rapist pedophile. Maybe if he had choked the little girl to death they would've awarded him the keys to the city.