Polanski

The celebrated and controversial Roman Polanski has long been the object of worldwide fascination. Here, acclaimed biographer Christopher Sandford weaves together the rich and complex life of the film director, Holocaust survivor, and exile, based on 200 firsthand accounts. This unique access includes interviews with actors and writers who worked with Polanski, previously sealed transcripts of his criminal hearings, testimony before the California grand jury following sexual assault charges that led to his exile, and personal reflections on the Manson “family” murders of Sharon Tate and friends of the couple. Sandford also discusses the making of Polanski’s classic films from 1962-2005, including such highlights as Rosemary’s Baby, Chinatown, and the Oscar-winning The Pianist. This compelling biography of a man whose life has been punctuated by extreme tragedies and triumphs illuminates one of the most important careers in modern cinema.

 

 

Praise

"Sandford deftly portrays a disturbed, disturbing man who happens to be a great filmmaker."--New York Times Book Review

"In this fine biography, Sandford gives [Polanski's] films the praise they deserve, and he is fair as well to Polanski the man."--Jonathan Yardley, Washington Post Book World

 

"Engrossing, lucid presentation of a uniquely complicated and productive life... In slyly playful prose... Sandford admirably extracts all of the salient information from the maelstrom of controversy and urban myth surrounding Polanski."--Kirkus Reviews

 

"…Sandford's obvious knowledge and critical estimation of Polanski's work conveys a tough but appealing fairness that should be welcomed by scholars and lay readers alike."--Library Journal

 

"...clear-eyed, entertaining..."--L.A. Weekly

 

"Sandford's emphasis on accuracy... is impressive."--The Seattle Times

 

"Polanski fetishists will luxuriate in Sandford’s details of Polanski’s schizophrenically fascinating life."--New York Press

 

"At a certain point in his well-researched, decently written biography of Roman Polanski, Christopher Sandford characterizes his subject as 'a permanent alien,' which is about as good a summary of the director as you are likely to encounter."--Richard Schickel, Los Angeles Times

 

"Respectful but smoothly objective... Using material drawn from more than 270 interviews with friends, relatives, and acquaintances, Sandford's biography is rich with the sort of anecdotes and minutiae true fans of an artist love to devour... all brought together by a lively style that manages to be sympathetic but also miles from being hagiographic."--Chad Denton, http://liheliso.com/

 

"Incisive, gripping and carefully-researched biography of one of the most polarizing figures of modern cinema. Sandford has clearly devoted considerable efforts to teasing out the myth from the reality of Polanski's extraordinary life."--Andrew Morton, author of Tom Cruise: An Unauthorized Biography

 

"Biographies of living figures are generally embarrassing. This one, unauthorized, critically admiring, expertly put together, is an exception, a notable tribute to a rascal genius with an unending capacity for surprise."--The Spectator

 

"Sandford's Polanski emerges as a cross between Oliver Twist and Artful Dodger, and is by and large sympathetic."--The Guardian

 

Praise for Christopher Sandford's previous books:

 

Springsteen: Point Blank

"A loving yet unflinching portrait ... a deft account based on exhaustive research and interviews.... The book is most compelling, in its description of how Springsteen's social conscience grew as he matured ... a worthy analysis of rock's most generous soul ... This book makes one realize Springsteen deserves any peace he has found."--Boston Globe

 

Kurt Cobain

"A solidly researched and coherently argued portrait of Nirvana's front man."--Amazon.com

 

Keith Richards: Satisfaction

"Sandford does an expert job of capturing a complicated subject ... his easy storytelling style and expert musical knowledge make for a satisfying read."--Publishers Weekly

About the Author(s)

Christopher Sandford

Christopher Sandford has published acclaimed biographies of Kurt Cobain (now in development as a major feature film), Eric Clapton, Mick Jagger, David Bowie, Paul McCartney, Keith Richards, and Bruce Springsteen. He has worked as a film and music writer and reviewer for over twenty years, and Rolling Stone has called him "the pre-eminent author in his field today." He divides his time between England and Seattle.

Excerpt

Early on the morning of 14 March 1943, the Krakow ghetto was finally liquidated. It was exactly a month since [Roman’s mother] Bula Polanski had disappeared; the destruction of families “one Jew at a time” was specifically encouraged in the German plan. [His father] Ryszard was able to smuggle Romek [Roman] out of the immediate area, [his friend] Stefan being left to his fate, before the SS came for him.

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