A lot of people are asking, what crime did Roman Polanski commit? On the radio today, I heard callers compare Polanski to Woody Allen (and point out that Allen was one who signed the film community petition) and say that these are the types of role models in the entertainment industry who challenge the morals of America. Meanwhile, on this same day, David Wells, the former district attorney in Polanski's case, admitted he lied, essentially admitting there being corruption in the judicial system. So, now, there is not only a question of morals on the defendent but also on the prosecution side. It made me question (maybe for the 5,493,285th time in my life..) how our society really intends on saving itself in these tough times.
The petition was also signed by such renowned filmmakers as David Lynch, Harvey Weinstein and Martin Scorcese, a move which any film enthusiast could view as honorable, but which any average American might be apt to shake their head at: it's beautiful that friends and supporters of an artist would band together to create a grassroots effort, mostly likely with the hope of using their celebrity status to help influence more supporters to follow suit; it's also begging the question of whether or not these supporters view Polanski's actions in the 1970's as respectable. After all, fleeing the country just before being sentenced in a statutory rape case is not normally worthy of praise. Or is it?
These filmmakers have all created art which depicts crime in America, and the simple fact that they are renowned for their work proves that their depictions are something the audience can relate to. It's become a common joke that, in order to get ahead in American society, one needs to break the law. Going a step further, breaking the law can be a form of hazing in fraternities and even just your average social circle. You might ask yourself how often you actually break the law and find that you do almost every day.
The American justice system is based on morals and thus constantly being changed due to society's moral values changing with the times. In the case of statutory rape and the age of consent, the U.S. generally feels that no person under 16 is capable of having consensual sex and, in some cases, if the older person is more than a few years older it's considered a bigger crime. Roman Polanski was 43 and he was originally accused of giving drugs to, and then having sex with, a 13 year old girl.
Today, that 13-year-old girl is now 32 years older and has stated that she'd rather not deal with the media frenzy that has caused her so much distress in the past. And the prosecutor has admitted he lied. And a whole slew of Polanski's peers are petitioning to have him freed. This will be the sort of story that changes how we perceive celebrities, filmmakers, artists, the entertainment industry, lawyers, district attorneys, morals and possibly even laws if it keeps up. And something tells me it'll be keeping up for quite some time...
