Comments on: Open Forum Friday: Will You Support the Work of an Artist Whose Actions You Don’t Agree With?

By: Phil G

Phil G — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 00:50:46 +0000

Christopher,

First, whether or not Polanski is immune to the law is entirely beside the point. The question posed was whether or not you would support the artist.

Also, Iâ€™m not sure what history books you are reading. First, whether the British did something 50 years ago is immaterial. You donâ€™t excuse a wrong with another wrong. That being said, the idea that Germany did not know what was happening to the Jews is not only painting with a wide brush it is also just plain wrong. Some knew, some did not. To assert that Hitler made Germany â€œgreater than any nation at the timeâ€ is absurd and needs to be backed up with some evidence. Finally, the idea that TRIUMPH OF THE WIL is not a piece of propaganda is so fucking retarded that I canâ€™t believe this is an argument that actually needs to be made. If you believe that all Riefenstahl wanted to do was show people how the German people felt at the time, if you truly take her as her word, my friend, youâ€™ve not only drunk the kool aid, but need to read a few more history books. No matter what she says, evidence proves otherwise.
A
nytime you drug a thirteen year old girl and then proceed to fuck her, thatâ€™s rape. Period. End of story. Still, if youâ€™ve seen THE GHOST WRITER, it is an amazing thriller from start the finish. Mel Gibson is an anti-Semite, but APOCOLYPTO is still the best action movie in the last ten years. Woody Allen ended up fucking his girl friendâ€™s adoptive daughter, but since then heâ€™s produced some excellent work, as well as some shit. You can create a list a mile long with artists for thousands of years who were fairly disgusting people.

By: Justice

Justice — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 21:33:54 +0000

Its a tough decision. I guess I draw the line when a movie/art promotes a crime or a viewpoint I find harmful or disagreeable. We all can (probably) agree Polanski belongs in jail, but he isn’t making movies that celebrate pedophilia or rationalizing the crime he committed. Some argued that the Passion promoted anti-semitism, so I could see why they would boycott it. So while I may dislike Polanski or Gibson personally, it depends on the movie itself.

By: Drewsifer

Drewsifer — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 17:47:53 +0000

Well I was going to say something but it won’t look ad good after a spam bot.

By: Maopheus

Maopheus — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 02:53:07 +0000

I suppose it only really matters if the person’s art is any way directly connected to his personal life or issues. Of course to some degree there are always connections, but for a director who directs fictional movies, it is a lot easier to make that separation. You don’t see his face or hear his voice when watching his movies (except for his occasional cameos, and his acting in other movies). The problem really isn’t whether to support him now. This is pretty much a water under the bridge problem. The main issue is with the enablers and apologizers who allowed him to continue to work after he fled to France for 30 years. Whatever this movie does or doesn’t do, it will have little effect on his legacy. I don’t understand why this is all of a sudden a problem now. Sure his name has been in the news because of the whole renewed talk of extradition, but he’s directed 8 movies since he fled. I don’t think much could have been done about him because his movies don’t make a lot of money so it’s not like boycotting any of his movies would have made much difference. Also, given his stature as a great director, someone would be willing to work with him.

By: Pete

Pete — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 23:40:26 +0000

agreed .. the bigger prob is any industry that rewards bad behavoir .. he got a standing ovation as a show of support at the ak/awrds .. the bankers in my country remain unprosecuted for their crap .. and got PAID to boot .. Micheal Jackson is worth more dead than alive .. Mel Gibson used his proceeds from the ‘jesus pic’ to buy half of Malibu .. the prophet made a profit

whatever you buy .. wherever you work .. yr probably involved in act that propogates an evil agenda..
that said you can still be picky ..

By: Pete

Pete — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 23:40:25 +0000

whatever you buy .. wherever you work .. yr probably involved in act that propogates an evil agenda..
that said you can still be picky ..

By: Falsk

Falsk — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 22:28:23 +0000

Ugh, this is ridiculous. I liked hearing Jay’s passionate response to this from last week’s junk mail. (Nearly brought tears to my eyes, I was so moved.)

Being a director is a job. It’s work and it’s a paycheck and, sometimes, it’s art. If you’re at a drive through for a hamburger and you pull up to give the cashier your money, do you really want to know what that cashier is going to do when he hangs up the apron and goes home? No. You want your hamburger–that’s what you’re there for. Just for the same reason I’m putting down money for a movie ticket, not a shit load of baggage about the director. Fuck, man, what if the gaffer had MURDERED someone? What if the sound mixer, you know, had a second job operating a puppy mill? Who fucking cares?! I’m not going to dinner with these people. I’m watch a movie that they all made “at work”.

Personal lives and job lives are two different things and we have no right being uninvited into the personal. It doesn’t involve us.

By: Christopher

Christopher — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 19:33:14 +0000

What he has done ilegally must be confronted through the hands of the law. What he has done as an artist must be confronted and viewed through the eyes and world of art. I’m gonna watch his movie, but i still want him in jail for doing something illegal.
Not seeing movie cause i don’t agree with him on another subject is in my opinion just stupid, and gives any person, including myself, double standars, as we for exampe are living and breaded in a society that has its wealth based on poor workers in the third world.

By: Glendon

Glendon — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 16:52:50 +0000

Polanski should be in jail. I love The Pianist.

By: Slix

Slix — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 16:20:50 +0000

Working in the justice system, I kind of feel like you have to let that system take its course, regardless of how f’d up you feel the system is. Michael Jackson is a great example Primal. At a certain point, a person either says “In my mind he’s guilty and I’m not supporting him” or they accept the verdict.

To me, the more interesting aspect of this is where you draw the line.
If you’re not going see this because he is a molester, would you if he had raped an adult? How about a conviction of kidnapping? On down through Jaywalking.

What if Polanski’s profits supported terrorism? Or blood diamonds? Slavery? You have to draw a line somewhere, or not, I suppose.

By: Christopher

Christopher — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 16:06:12 +0000

**to talk about the benefits that nazi germany yielded is the same as to say it would be quite beneficial if we could make some medical experiments on your mom. Iâ€™m sure you wouldnâ€™t be so philosophical in this case.**

What? Listen man, i’m just describing history like it was, not like the bullshit patriotic passion Hollywood brings to you by portraying everything as sterotypes.

By: Tommy

Tommy — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 15:57:34 +0000

So pedophiles YAY …. Nazis NAY?