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The Oscars are one of the most prestigious events in the field of cinema and few award ceremonies hold the level of honor that the Academy Awards. The ceremony ends the coveted awards season and has been the aim for many of the greatest films of the year. However, the biggest awards show has been tainted by several events that occurred during the ceremony.
While events such as Envelope Gate and Will Smith slapping Chris Rock were moments of embarrassment for the Academy, one particular decision made by the organizers and Hollywood, in general, can be called the ceremony’s most disgusting moment. The decision in question is when Roman Polanksi, a fugitive on the run for s*xually assaulting a minor was awarded the Best Director Oscar forThe Pianist.
The Oscars Have Been Tainted Due To Roman Polanski’s Academy Award Win
The 75th Academy Awards had some of the most memorable films as the nominees. Films such as the musicalChicago, Martin Scorsese’sGangs of New York, and Peter Jackson’sLord of the Rings: The Two Towersin competition. However, one of the most anticipated but controversial nominees was director Roman Polanski’sThe Pianist.
StarringAdrien Brodyas Władysław Szpilman, a Holocaust survivor, the film was based on the experiences of the pianist. Polanski himself reportedly had experienced the concentration camp in Krakow Ghetto in Germany and had lost his mother there. The director had run away from the camp and had reunited with his father after the Second World War.
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The film received universal acclaim for Brody’s performance and Polanski’s direction, with both winning the Oscar. However, in the years since the ceremony, the awarding ofRoman Polanskiby the Academy has been under fire. In 1978, Polanski fled the United States of America after he pleaded guilty to having unlawful s*x with a minor.
According to theNew York Times, the filmmaker was accused of rping a 13-year-old girl whom he had photographed as a model. The filmmaker was accused of druging and having non-consensual intercourse with the minor and faced several other charges. After entering a plea for a reduced sentence, Roman Polanski fled to Paris as he got wind that the judge would not be honoring the agreement.
Hollywood Had Supported Roman Polanski Despite Pleading Guilty
Roman Polanski’s Oscar win brought forth much criticism in the wake of the ‘Me Too’ and ‘Time’s Up’ movements. According toGlamour, Harrison Ford, who announced the winner personally went to Paris to present the award to Polanski. Only in 2019, the filmmaker was expelled from the Academy of Motion Pictures and Sciences along with Bill Cosby (viaVariety).
In the Oscars footageof Roman Polanski’s win, several noted Hollywood celebrities were seen giving standing ovations to the filmmaker who was absent from the ceremony. Celebrities such as Meryl Streep, Martin Scorsese, Jack Nicholson, Nicolas Cage, and more can be seen applauding the win.
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The filmmaker was reportedly arrested in 2009 in Switzerland at the request of the USA but was released a year later. According toFar Out, one of the reasons for Polanski’s release was the petition put forth by a host of Hollywood directors and actors demanding his release. Prominent celebrities such as Martin Scorsese, Wes Anderson, David Lynch, Tilda Swinton, Natalie Portman, and more had reportedly signed the petition.
After the ‘Me Too’ and ‘Time’s Up’ movements, Natalie Portman came forward to regret the petition, saying that she did it because someone she respected handed the petition to her. She said in an interview withBuzzfeed News,
“I very much regret it. I take responsibility for not thinking about it enough…The thing I feel like I gained from it is empathy towards people who have made mistakes. We lived in a different world, and that doesn’t excuse anything. But you may have your eyes opened and completely change the way you want to live.”
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The filmmaker has still been making films and has received accolades at different international award ceremonies and festivals. He received the Cesar Award for Best Director for his filmThe Officer and the Spyin 2019.
Nishanth A
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2416
Nishanth A is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, majorly focusing on TV shows with over 2,000 articles published. He has been an entertainment journalist for the past two years and a scriptwriter at various corporations before that, working on educational content. With a Communications, English Literature, and Psychology triple major, Nishanth usually covers news and analyses on Star Trek, particularly Strange New Worlds and The Next Generation; Doctor Who, the DCU, and more.A Nolan fan, Nishanth spends his time exploring the filmographies of various directors with an auteurial style or can be found making short movies of his own. He has also contributed as a feature writer for Film Companion, focusing on the South division.
