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Roman Knows

Thanks for all the get-well comments. My condition is ongoing but hopefully can be managed by the treatments on offer. At the moment I am mostly in some pain throughout the day. I don't intend to return too often to these pages for a month or so, but did want to briefly mention that, after thinking about it, I agree with the arrest of Polanski. Chinatown is a great film, and was once my favourite, - as is Fearless Vampire Killers, Bitter Moon, and Frantic - but what he did (which he admitted to) is a crime that warrants punishment. As with Pound, we can have the man, and the work, and need not tar the one with the other. Polanski's tormented, oddly unfortunate life deepened the filmic intensity of his best projects, but the films rarely open out onto any apology or remorse, for evil. They're works of genius; but a genius inflected darkly.
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Poetry Pleases! said…
Dear Todd

I would tend to agree with you but I don't think that Katy Evans-Bush does. There is a good debate on her blog about this issue if you haven't already seen it. Sorry to hear that you're still ill and hope that your health takes a turn for the better soon.

Best wishes from Simon & Rusty
Fri Oct 02, 11:20:00 am 2009
Unknown said…
Well put, Todd. You reiterate some points that have been swirling around in my mind.
I am at a loss why such super intelligent intelligent people like Barbet Schroeder would so immediately put their names on that petition. A lo9t of right-wing freaks have been attacking these people. However, there is no true polarity here, except the a lot of intelligent people are falling for the line that they should protect their own - I mean, intelligentsia. Thank goodness you are not falling for that. I think Luc Besson put it best about Polansk; while, he was a nice man, and he made brilliant films, he shouldn't necessarily go free for what he did. Luc Besson conclude that he himself was a father with a daughter.
Fri Oct 02, 03:58:00 pm 2009
Tommaso Gervasutti said…
After thirty years a crime that deserves punishment?

And those committed by our Prime Minister here in Italy?
Mon Oct 05, 07:27:00 pm 2009
Unknown said…
Mr. Gervasutti: Perhaps the plebs of Italy deserve the leader they go. After all, a larger percentile of people than of any other group keep voting for him. Belusconi is certainly a buffoon. Is as bad, politically or personally, as his left-wing critics make him out to be? Frankly speaking, as a long-time lefty myself, I am becoming more tolerant, even outright supportive, of good right-wing leaders. Merkel is a good example of a solid leader who cares about people. But then, don't trust me. Unlike Todd (sorry, hey?)I still don't think Gordon Brown is as bad as the media and a lot of the public is making him out to be. Blair was kind of an idiot, who left Brown with an awful mess. Brown is a good man. Perhaps Blair was, took. But lots of good people are idiots and should not leader anything, be it a group of sighted-people out of a paper bag, or a mob, let alone a country.
Thu Oct 08, 04:59:00 pm 2009
Mark Granier said…
I thought I sent in a comment on this. What happened to it?
Fri Oct 09, 11:37:00 pm 2009
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