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I've been thinking about this for a while since the news hit that he'd been arrested, and I think the importance that the particular arrest of this particular child rapist has to do with factors that I've not seen discussed yet in this thread, or in any other discussion of it for that matter. I think the ultimate problem for Mr. Polanski, and the reason that it has so much perceived spotlight is largely the fault of Mr. Polanski himself. I've not read the original court documents in detail, but from what I can gather he admitted that he had sex with the 13 year old girl, was given a plea bargain by the DA, which he then feared would not be honored by the judge in the case. He was released and allowed to travel to Europe, and then refused to return to the sentencing. If this is correct, then it seems to me that the people involved in the case must have had a reasonable expectation that he might not return, but that's not the central point, in my eyes. Given the nature of the crime, and the fact that his pregnant wife had been brutally slain by Charles Manson's cohorts, I would imagine that there was a certain amount of melodrama associated with the original case which led to the strange way that it played out. 44 year old successful Hollywood darling, at Jack Nicholson's house, who apparently raped a 13 year old girl who was known to have engaged in some previous high-risk behavior. Media focus on the case, careers of the judge and DA in question...and Polanski slipped away.
There are no doubt countless other pedofiles, pedarasts, rapists, muderers..etc...who have skipped town and made it to countries without strong extradition policies with the U.S. I think if Polanski had moved to France, or even Switzerland...and kept a low profile, this wouldn't be happening right now. He might show up on a "Where are they now?" program every so often, and be the subject of cultural myth. However, Polanski decided to continue keeping himself in the limelight. He continued to make movies, and public appearances. He kept himself relevant, and he kept the fact that he'd alluded the American court system and had flown out country after a controversial case relevant.
Therefore, I think that his behavior could easily be interpreted as flaunting his freedom from American justice, and this behavior gives a strong sense of entitlement and being above the law. It's not so much the particulars of this case, but what Polanski came to represent. After so much public attention on his work, and the awards for "The Pianist" which he famously chose not to receive in person, I think it was inevitable that the U.S. justice system would make it a point to pick him up. And apparently they did. There is an apparent lack of real remorse, and a sense conveyed that he believes himself to be outside the jurisdiction of justice for his crime...and I think this is what is really fueling the desire to bring him back. The efforts to keep him out of U.S. jurisdiction because he's a famous and successful entertainment icon only make this perception worse. It seems to say that he should be less accountable for his crimes because he's done some nice film work, and this notion above all else is what may end up bringing him down. If he'd just kept a low profile in France, I doubt any of us would be reading about this in the news.
I can't really say I have a problem with that. If you get away with it, don't throw it in people's faces. They will come to resent you.
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