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Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired |  | Director: Marina Zenovich
Actors: Pedro Almodóvar, Istvan Bajzat, Steve Barshop, Marilyn Beck, Madeline Bessmer
Studio: Velocity / Thinkfilm
Category: DVD
List Price: $27.98
Buy Used: $4.03
as of 7/30/2010 08:13 CDT details
You Save: $23.95 (86%)
New (26) from $10.32
Seller: Name Brand Overstocks
Rating:  15 reviews
Sales Rank: 37358
Format: Color, Dolby, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
Languages: Spanish (Subtitled), English (Subtitled), English (Original Language)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Region: 1
Discs: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
Running Time: 99 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6
MPN: IMEDTF5265D
UPC: 014381526523
EAN: 0014381526523
ASIN: B001HB1K46
Theatrical Release Date: 2008
Release Date: January 27, 2009
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Amazon.com
When Polanski's defense attorney says midway through this film that he "isn't surprised Polanski left under the circumstances" surrounding this corrupted court case, one really begins to understand why the director has not returned to America in nearly 20 years. Wanted and Desired, Marina Zenovich's documentary about Polanski's 1977 arrest for rape of a minor set facts straight about a case that was blown to ridiculous proportions by a sensationalistic press and a judge who was far from judicious. Comprised of interviews with producers and friends Andrew Braunsberg, Daniel Melnick, Mia Farrow, and many others, the film obviously sympathizes with Polanski. But ample interviews with D.A. Roger Gunson and defense attorney, Douglas Dalton, lend factual credence to the film's assertion that the director was not guilty as charged and further, shows how separate public image and the real person are. Wanted and Desired covers the tragic loss of his wife, Sharon Tate, only to preface the court case and Polanski's departing the country as a result. Short clips from many of his fine films are interspersed to poignant effect between interview clips, to show how his public image has been wrongly writ based on his films' dark subject matter. Polanski's lack of participation in the film, then, seems not like his condemnation of its making, but rather in keeping with his desire to avoid press in general. At best, Wanted and Desired may serve as a further invitation to the brilliant director, who has been living in France for almost 20 years with a wife and two children, to someday return to America. —Trinie Dalton
Product Description
Genre: Documentary
Rating: NR
Release Date: 27-JAN-2009
Media Type: DVD
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 15
He made great films;does the man stand up? July 21, 2010
technoguy (Rugby)
A documentary which reopens the controversial and complex case of director Roman Polanski's public conviction for having unlawful sex with a minor some 30 years ago. The young girl,Samantha Gernier,was 13 at the time.Polanski at the time told her mother he wanted to shoot pictures of her for a French magazine.Her mother allowed Samantha to go off with Polanski to Jack Nicholson's house in Mulholland Drive.Instead,after shooting pictures he gave her champagne and a piece of Quaalude (hypnotic) and he took advantage of her.Because of the drug he sodomised and raped her. "He wouldn't take no for an answer...it was scary and very creepy".Samantha and her mother didn't want Polanski to be sentenced.Due to the effect of publicity and the girl's desire for anonymity, charges were later reduced under a plea bargain agreement to a mere `unlawful intercourse with an underage girl'.The judge had turned the case into a circus and reneged on the deal and Polanski, fearing 50 years in jail, fled to France.He had undergone a 42 day psychiatric assessment in custody and was not thought to be a mentally disordered offender.His past experiences,the traumatic loss of his parents under the Nazis and the murder of his wife,even his brilliance as a film director, should not place him above the law,even though he's married with 2 children.Gernier is married with 3 children.
In the film there is an interesting interview over dinner with Clive James.James implies Polanski seems to like surrounding himself with young ladies.Following what has happened to him he should lie low and stay out of site. Polanski disagrees.Polanski says the girl`consented',but James says even if so she was underage.Polanski asks James, almost disappointingly,"is that all you think my life comes to...young ladies"?James suggests he may have a predilection for very young girls and he reacts with amusement: Yes I like beautiful young women,who doesn't?But we also know that the photograph taken of him in Europe with a young woman at a beerfest was used against him. There is a sense that Polanski got the American mind-set very wrong,badly judged American laws,got off too easily(flitting from country to country)and now needs to have this matter put to rest once and for all.We now know Switzerland will not extradite him.
Polanski's life was as weird and eerie as any of his films.The loss of his parents to the Nazis.The way the brilliant Rosemary's Baby seemed to prefigure a kind of bad karma that adhered to him when his young pregnant wife was murdered by Manson's crazed killers.His exploitation of a young girl who wanted to get into film acting, having unlawful sexual intercourse with her after plying her with drink and drugs.This happened after he'd made the fantastic Chinatown. The judge of the case was drawn to celebrity cases.He himself was in a relationship with a woman 30 years younger. He promised an out of court settlement, but gradually reneged on his deal, wanting to put Polanski away for a long time.The film brings out well the innuendoes that Polanski suffered on his wife's death, as if he'd personally got her murdered himself or through his life-style been partly responsible.He has a reckless streak that the press made too much of.He is probably ruthless but charming.Obviously he fled once he got wind of the Judge's manipulations.The Judge was retired from the case soon after.Polanski is probably more appreciated in Europe than in America.He has been told he can go back to America if he allows them to film the court hearing.He has refused this final request.I admire the genius of Rosemary's Baby,Chinatown and The Pianist,without admiring the man who made them.His latest film The Ghost is an ironic comment about his case,an ex PM (British),holed up in America, wanted at a war crimes tribunal in Europe.
 Roman Polanski, wanted and desired February 15, 2010
Therese Obrecht (Geneva, Switzerland)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Excellent documentary, well researched, giving an unbiased and full account of the Polanski case. Excellent testimony of his lawyer who plainly told him that he could not expect a fair treatment from judge Rittenband.
Polanski wanted and desired December 9, 2009
Patricia Richards (somewhere out there)
I found the documentary interesting in that Polanski's victim also speaks regarding the 30 year old case that had Polanski fleeing from the US to escape his sentence from a judge he felt was "out to get him". Now it seems Polanski wasn't just being cowardly.
 Okay documentary; reveals a lot of info October 24, 2009
Viva (So. Cal.)
2 out of 4 found this review helpful
The way this documentary is put together is at times sloppy, at other times plodding, and sometimes it includes footage which is not needed at all, like the absurdist bit with Polanski moving like a puppet outdoors while a man pounds on a drum. Also, much of the music is irritating and distracting.
That said, it does contain a great deal of info about a case which I knew very little about until Polanski made the recent headlines. I don't sympathize with him. He may be a fine director, but we are talking about a preteen girl her, and the use of alcohol and drugs to ply her while she was alone with him. It's about time he faced up to what he did, no matter how long ago it was, no matter that she forgave him 12 years ago.
Great piece of work! October 15, 2009
F. Romo
1 out of 3 found this review helpful
Excellent movie and arrived on time at great conditions! Keep the high quality service up! Congrats.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 15
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