Marshall and the Movies

Can you enjoy a film if you “hate” the filmmaker? That’s the question posed over at Cinematical, who examined the work of three controversial directors.  Here’s what was said on Roman Polanski, whose rearresting this past year has caused quite a stir:

Crimes: Giving drugs and sex to an underage girl; fleeing from indictment and avoiding America forever.

This is the big one among movie geeks. Polanski’s crimes were committed in 1977, and since then he’s produced films both good and not so good … every time one of his new films hits cinemas, the movie world is abuzz with opinions on Polanski’s legal problems. Given that Polanski’s latest was actually produced while he was under house arrest, well, that just gave Polanski’s detractors another reason to hate the guy.

Frankly I’m not qualified to judge a man like Roman Polanski. This guy escaped the Warsaw ghetto and lived to see his pregnant wife murdered by the Manson family … so clearly he has some emotional issues. Obviously that does not excuse a man from committing statutory rape and then fleeing from justice, but I just see Polanski as a tragic figure altogether. A truly gifted filmmaker who’s survived some horrible things (and committed some unpleasant acts)…

I’ve been lucky enough to surround myself with people who are more interested in the value of the art than the values of the people creating it.  I separate life on and off the screen because they are two entirely different forms of reality.  I’m in no position to judge these people’s lives, only the art that they create.  This even goes for Roman Polanski.  I’m not going to condone the actions he allegedly committed, but it’s not my call to decide how he should face judgement.  From my experience, I have found that there is passing judgement on others, particularly based on incomplete information, only produces anger and resentment.

I once had a teacher who wouldn’t see “Mission: Impossible 3” because she didn’t like that Tom Cruise was open about his belief in Scientology.  I think it’s a little silly to boycott a movie when an actor takes on a role that doesn’t espouse his beliefs.  When the actor or actress does, however, it’s an entirely different ballgame.  If someone told me they didn’t want to see “Capitalism: A Love Story” because they don’t appreciate Michael Moore’s outspokenness, then I’d be more comfortable with that decision.

To close, I’ll leave you with the article’s final stance, which pretty much sums up my feelings.  Sometimes it’s best not to reproduce something that already hits the nail on the head.

But ultimately … I don’t have to like a person to admire their films. And I guess that’s where I stand in general: my job is to evaluate and appreciate a film. Anything beyond that is simply not all that interesting to me.