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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
24 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Paradoxical Roman - by Polanski,
By Annette L. Munson (St. Louis, MO) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Roman by Polanski (Mass Market Paperback)
The myriad and often contradictory superlatives that define Roman Polanski are evident in his 1984 autobiography. A man of immense dichotomy: by turns exquisitely sensitive and dazzlingly brilliant yet capable of staggering insensitivity and cruelty; a singularly gifted filmmaker who has sometimes betrayed that talent completely; a man blessed with the reciprocal love and devotion of three of the world's most beautiful women (most notably Sharon Tate) and yet easily capable of sexist and loutish behavior, etc. The parade of paradoxes attendant to Polanski's life make for fascinating reading, evoke extremes of admiration and disdain on the part of the reader, and ultimately remind us that the author, like life itself, is not easily defined nor pigeonholed by a pool of platitudes.As this tome lacks the direct input of anyone other than Polanski himself, much of the director's foibles and missteps are congealed in the inevitable patina of celebrity and privilege. But that's not the whole story - by far. Polanski's appalling childhood and the Manson murders of 1969 (Polanski's pregnant wife and unborn child were murdered by disciples of the would-be messiah) undoubtedly contributed to the self-destruction that is too frequently an underlying theme in his life. The passages in which the author pays noble tribute to Tate provide a touching - and fitting - legacy to the lovely actress whose abundant goodness - her superior heart and her abiding selflessness - are manifest in Polanski's memories. It is, ultimately, this aspect of the book that remain in the reader's memory - long after the last page has been turned. In Polanski's relationship with his late wife - we are allowed to observe the director's vulnerability, tenderness and love - qualities that are all too frequently sublimated in his own overweening arrogance, pride and machismo. "Roman by Polanski" is a satisfying and compelling read for those of us who, though incensed by some of the director's sophomoric actions, still find a commonality with the chaotic and passionate aspects of his personality. For this reason, the loss of his filmmaking genius in America is very unfortunate indeed.
10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the most impressive books ever read,
By
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Roman (Hardcover)
I lost my copy of this book years ago and am so glad to have it back. Anyone who admires Polanski's work will love this book. Anyone who questions Polanski's love of life, Sharon, and the World he lives in should read this book. You will understand him in a whole new light. He's amazing. Read this before any other about him. Please!!!!!!
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Life Characterized by Accomplishments and Extremes.,
By
This review is from: Roman by Polanski (Mass Market Paperback)
When Roman Polanski wrote this autobiography, he was still under a pall of pessimism following the murder of his wife, Sharon Tate, 15 years earlier. I imagine that a lot has changed in his life since 1984, considering his remarriage and new family. But "Roman by Polanski" is a very readable, articulate, and seemingly candid account of Polanski's childhood in German-occupied Poland, his youth under communism, his professional struggles and emergence as a coveted talent in the 1960s, when he took up a bohemian lifestyle in Hollywood and London. That was shattered, of course, by the murder of 5 people, including his wife, as his L.A. home by the Manson "Family" in August 1969, an event which is often cited as the end of the freewheeling '60s. Polanski later fled the United States over sentencing irregularities in a statutory rape case, and he offers his view of that situation as well.
Polanski recounts the making of his films in varying degrees of detail, from his student productions in Poland through "Tess". At the time he wrote this book, he was burned out on filmmaking and had returned to the stage to play the part of Mozart in Peter Schaffer's play "Amadeus". Polanski lays out the events of his personal and professional life plainly. He has had an interesting life, accentuated by the stark contrasts between communism and capitalism, poverty and wealth, freedom and persecution. Readers may be more curious about Polanski's character, though. He relished his lifestyle, was accused of rape, and so became the libertine that everyone loves to bash. His driving ambition in everything he attempts and his social values, from his reckless generosity to his many lovers, come across as having shaped his life. And they gave him many interesting stories to tell.
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