Posted April 13, 201411 yr http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Film/Pix/pictures/2008/12/04/SNAPRexFeatures_79polanski460.jpg Roman Polanski is yet another hugely controversial figure to feature in one of these specialised threads, living a rich life of damning toil, supernatural tribulations and haunting repercussions. Spending a lot of his life dodging the law (both escaping from crimes himself and escaping from the horrific crimes of others forced onto him), avoiding prying eyes and getting himself into all sorts of trouble, behind the controversy is one of the most inventive and darkly engrossing directors of our time. Still (just) making films today, his life is littered with disaster, a lot of which feeds into his cinema but with the director's dark humour blended in. Selected Filmography2011 Carnage2005 Oliver Twist2002 The Pianist1992 Bitter Moon1988 Frantic1986 Pirates1979 Tess1976 The Tenant1974 Chinatown1972 What?1971 The Tragedy of Macbeth1968 Rosemary's Baby1967 The Fearless Vampire Killers 1966 Cul-de-sac1965 Repulsion1962 Knife in the Water1955-1962 The Shorts Be it his hugely popular and well-acclaimed films, or his low-budget earlier works of art, there's always something to say about the cinema of Polanski. How many have you seen and which have criminally gone ignored (until now hopefully!)? Close Eyes: #5 Roman Polanski #4 Stanley Kubrick #3 Lars Von Trier #2 Alfred Hitchcock #1 Quentin Tarantino
April 13, 201411 yr Author Another BIG favourite of mine (perhaps only bettered by Hitchcock and Kubrick (i will stop being so biased from now, promise)). I wrote my Masters dissertation on him and the 'Apartment Trilogy' in particular which is one of the cleverest/wittiest/scariest selection of films i can think of. 'Repulsion' is the biggest one for me; always underrated and ignored in the shadow of 'Rosemary's Baby' but it's in my top 3 films of all time and so wonderfully acted, crafted and executed, all with such deceptive simplicity. 'Rosemary's Baby' is a bonafide classic that i have nothing but praise for as it continues to impact art and cinema now. An important film of the time too given all the changes to female rights and the importance of taking control of one's body in terms of pregnancy and sexuality! 'The Tenant' is wildly funny and scary at the same time, with Roman himself taking the lead in the campest way imaginable <3 Shoutouts to 'Chinatown' and 'The Pianist' too, both relentless, hard-hitting and really reflect the man behind the camera throughout. He has some major duds too unfortunately, particularly 'The Fearless Vampire Killers' which he somehow managed to released between two of his masterpieces? And his life i've followed closely too, through biographies and news articles etc. So rich and coloured, but ultimately very sad and tragic. A life that is definitely felt throughout his cinema and which enriches it rather than hinders, i feel.
October 6, 201410 yr The only one I've seen is oliver twist and I hated that film [the 2005 version, the original is amazing] I've seen bits of Carnage and I have enjoyed what I have saw of it
October 6, 201410 yr Author Well 'Carnage' and 'Oliver Twist' are two of the least Polanski films he's done as it happens! Well worth checking out at least 'Rosemary's Baby' and then if you enjoy that delving further. It's one of the the defining horror films for so many reasons. Keep us updated in here if you decide to watch them :P
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