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Polanski: A Biography | 
 enlarge | Author: Christopher Sandford
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
Category: Book
List Price: $29.95
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Avg. Customer Rating:  3 reviews
Sales Rank: 226171
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 400
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.5
Dimensions (in): 9.3 x 6.4 x 1.5
ISBN: 0230607780
Dewey Decimal Number: 791.430233092
EAN: 9780230607781
ASIN: 0230607780
Publication Date: September 2, 2008
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Condition: Brand New. 100% money back guarantee. All books shipped from Strand Bookstore, New York City, USA.
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Product Description
This dramatic account weaves together the rich and complex life of the celebrated and controversial film director, Holocaust survivor, and exile, based on a wealth of sources and new material. New revelations about Polanski's life include: - The connection between his mother’s death in Auschwitz and wife Sharon Tate’s murder by the Manson family—both women were pregnant
- His radical transition from childhood poverty in a Krakow ghetto to a glamorous Hollywood life among socialites
- The psychological complexity and central thread of sexuality that runs throughout his films and his relationships with younger women
- A culmination of tragedies in Polanski’s life, from the Holocaust to the Manson murders to his sexual assault charges and subsequent exile from the U.S.
- The unique humor of the “rascal genius” that keeps the world watching and awaiting his new projects
Acclaimed biographer Sandford draws on dozens of interviews with actors who have worked with Polanski, as well as previously sealed transcripts of his criminal hearings, testimony before the California grand jury following the accusations that led to his exile, and personal reflections on the murders of Sharon Tate and other friends of the couple. Polanski’s films from 1962 to 2005 are contextualized within his life, including such highlights as Rosemary’s Baby, Chinatown, and the Oscar-winning The Pianist. Roman Polanski turns 75 in 2008, and his work, with two upcoming feature films including the political thriller Ghost, continues to receive more and more attention. Sandford's fascinating biography illuminates the life and work of one of the most important careers in modern cinema.
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| Customer Reviews:
 Sharon & Roman November 11, 2008
I am almost 47 and a big fan of Sharon Tates. This has Roman and Sharon's most famous photo together on the front and back of the book. I love it!!! Roman is ok but I mainly bought the book because of the Sharon Tate content.
 interesting bio & a good read September 29, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I read this book by Christopher Sandford after reading Jonathan Yardley's favorable review in the Sept 7 '08 Washington Post book section. I wanted to know: how was Polanski affected by the murder of his wife Sharon Tate by the Manson gang? What surprised me from reading the book was the series of trajedies Polanski endured even before that: his mother perished in Auschwitz, his father was in a prison camp during WWII, Polanski lived as a scavenger on his own as a child during WWII, and he was nearly murdered after the war in a brutal physical attack. Movies became his escape, but an enormous amount of damage had been done to his psyche.
In the 50's he was accepted at Poland's National Film School where he was immediately recognized as a talent. "Knife in the Water" ('62) put him on the map and is one of 3 of his films recognized by Yardley as postwar classics (the other 2 being "Chinatown" and "The Pianist"). I remember seeing "Knife" for the first time many years ago on TV, captivated by its combination of eroticism and sense of dread. Only when the credits rolled did I realize who the director was. By the late 60's he was making "The Fearless Vampire Killers" and "Rosemary's Baby" and falling in love with and marrying Sharon Tate. You'd think someone who had suffered so much before deserved to find happiness. Not to be. The sense of dread when I began to read Chapter 5, titled "Manson," was enormous. After losing both his wife and unborn son, he was beaten down yet again. How much can one man take? Yet he came back to direct "Chinatown," on my short list of the finest movies ever made. But he also became a serial pedophile and fled the U.S. rather than face long-term jail time for raping a 13-year old girl. Settling in France, he began a relationship with then 15-year old Nastassia Kinski, leading to her starring in "Tess" ('79). When he made "Frantic" ('88) starring Harrison Ford he met and began dating the young actress Emmanuelle Seigner, now his wife, the mother of his 2 young children, and one of two saviors of his soul: the other being making movies.
Polanski is one of the most important film directors of the last half century. Sandford says that "The Pianist" is his masterpiece, but I agree with Yardley that "Chinatown" is that. I learned from the book that Polanski's best work derives from material of which he was not the original author. Robert Towne wrote "Chinatown," and Ronald Harwood wrote the screenplay for "The Pianist" (both won Oscars). Yet Polanski made significant contributions to both scripts, and he was and still is an acknowledged genius behind the camera.
Because Polanski did not consent to be interviewed for the book, there's still much that is unknown about him. The bibliography lists 10 books, of which "Roman by Polanski" ('84) by Polanski himself is the next I would read. But Sandford's "Polanski" is an excellent starting point for a student of cinema, Polanski, or his films. A tidbit: Johnny Depp met his wife Vanessa Paradis while filming Polanski's "The Ninth Gate" ('99).
What a Life!!! September 25, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Christopher Sandford's unauthorized biography of the great Roman Polanski is eminently enjoyable, relaxingly readible and a perfect primer for a reader curious as to all things Polanskian. The book moves at a fine, fluid pace - as well-edited as the Maestro's best films. And what a life is herein related: from Hitler to Hollywood to the Swinging Sixties to Manson to child molestation charges to an Oscar! And most importantly the cultural contribution of a huge and varied canon of motion pictures that continue to excite and enthrall - it is all related herein in a most entertaining fashion. Is it the end-all book on Polanski? No. That would combine both biographical and cinematic analysis of a much more in-depth nature. Is the photographic section the best it could be? No. Most of the photos are banal, and there is much that could have been shown instead. (Do we really need a full page devoted to a picture of Manson?) I would have loved to have seen some of Polanski's artwork, as described in the text, for example. And one minor point, Welles' "A Touch of Evil"(as titled in this book; the actual title is "Touch of Evil") was not the "artistic template" for "The Ninth Gate" as the author contends on page 323 - rather it was Welles' "Mr. Arkadin." And...there are one too many sources that choose to remain anonymous in what they have to tell Mr. Sandford and thereby us about the Polish director, making some of the recollections suspect. But, despite these minor difficulties, the book is well worth reading. It was hard to put down - and lead me to a rewatching of my Polanski DVDs - and what a joy that is! I'm settling down to watch "Bitter Moon" now: a neglected masterpiece...one of the best films dealing with male/female relationships. Anyway - read the book and enjoy the films.
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