Directed by:
Marina ZenovichComposer:
Mark De Gli AntoniCast:
Roman Polański (a.f.), Sharon Tate (a.f.), Pedro Almodóvar (a.f.), Nicolas Cage (a.f.), Jay Sebring (a.f.), Michael Caine (a.f.), John Cassavetes (a.f.) (more)Plots(1)
In 1977, director Roman Polanski was untouchable. Film such as ROSEMARY'S BABY and CHINATOWN had cemented his reputation, and he staged a successful return to filmmaking following the death of his wife, Sharon Tate, in '69. But his appetite for narcotics and free love landed him in serious trouble with the law after an ill-fated photo shoot with 13-year-old Samantha Gailey led to full sexual intercourse. ROMAN POLANSKI: WANTED AND DESIRED is a documentary that looks at the court case and media feeding frenzy that followed Polanski's arrest in '77. Director Marina Zenovich takes an intriguing approach by focusing less on the incident itself, and more on the actions of the judge who presided over the case. Polanski isn't interviewed, but key figures such as the two opposing lawyers and Gailey all step forward to offer a harsh critique of judge Laurence Rittenband's handling of the trial. Zenovich's film is a real triumph. She expertly blends archival footage of Polanski with current-day reflections on the case from a host of key players. The build-up to the director's eventual exit and exile from the U.S. is executed with real tension, and the biggest surprise is that no one involved on either side of the case blamed Polanski for fleeing. Rittenband is painted as a highly corrupt, media-hungry figure whose ego dominated the proceedings. No one involved in the case denies that Polanski did something terribly wrong, but it's to Zenovich's credit that she doesn't dwell on this point. Instead she forms a harsh critique of a justice system that allows people like Rittenband to operate freely. The only missing part of the puzzle is the judge himself, who died in '93. But the body of evidence against his actions is skillfully dissected in this impressive feature. (official distributor synopsis)
(more)Cast
Roman Polański (a.f.)
France
Sharon Tate (a.f.)
USA
Best movies:
The 13 Chairs (1969)
Barabbas (1961)
The Fearless Vampire Killers (1967)
Pedro Almodóvar (a.f.)
Spain
Best movies:
All About My Mother (1999)
The Ministry of Time (2015) (series) - a.f.
Bad Education (2004)
Nicolas Cage (a.f.)
USA
Best movies:
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
Lord of War (2005)
Le Rocher (1996)
Jay Sebring (a.f.)
USA
Michael Caine (a.f.)
UK
Best movies:
The Dark Knight (2008)
Inception (2010)
Le Prestige (2006)
John Cassavetes (a.f.)
USA
Best movies:
Rosemary's Baby (1968)
The Dirty Dozen (1967)
Whose Life Is It Anyway? (1981)
Dick Cavett (a.f.)
USA
Best movies:
Forrest Gump (1994)
Annie Hall (1977)
Duane Hopwood (2005)
Joan Collins (a.f.)
UK
Best movies:
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (1999)
In the Bleak Midwinter (1995)
The Bravados (1958)
Stephen Daldry (a.f.)
UK
Catherine Deneuve (a.f.)
France
Best movies:
Persepolis (2007)
Dancer in the Dark (2000)
Final Cut: Ladies and Gentlemen (2012) - a.f.
Harrison Ford (a.f.)
USA
Best movies:
Faye Dunaway (a.f.)
USA
Best movies:
Little Big Man (1970)
La Tour infernale (1974)
Chinatown (1974)
Hugh Hefner (a.f.)
USA
Best movies:
Beverly Hills Cop II (1987)
History of the World: Part I (1981)
Comic Book: The Movie (2004)
Mick Jagger (a.f.)
UK
Best movies:
Taylor Swift: The 1989 World Tour Live (2015) (concert)
The Rutles: All You Need Is Cash (1978) (TV movie)
The Rolling Stones: From the Vault - Sticky Fingers Live at the Fonda Theatre 2015 (2015) (concert)
Rob Marshall (a.f.)
USA
Jack Nicholson (a.f.)
USA
Best movies:
Vol au-dessus d'un nid de coucou (1975)
The Shining (1980)
The Departed (2006)
Barbara Parkins (a.f.)
Canada
Best movies:
Katy Caterpillar (1984)
The Manions of America (1981) (series)
Bear Island (1979)
Terence Stamp (a.f.)
UK
Best movies:
Valkyrie (2008)
Wall Street (1987)
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)
Meryl Streep (a.f.)
USA
Best movies:
Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)
Out of Africa (1985)
The Deer Hunter (1978)