Woody Allen, Roman Polanski: New Films, Vastly Different Responses & Similar Protests in Venice

Polanski's and Allen's films at the Venice Film Festival are criticized and deemed out of touch with current conversations.

In 1977, Roman Polanski, the director, faced six criminal charges for drugging and raping a 13-year-old. He pleaded guilty to unlawful intercourse with a minor and escaped the US in 1978 before sentencing. Since then, he has been making films in Europe. These facts are not disputed.

In 1992, Woody Allen, another director, was accused of molesting his adopted daughter, Dylan Farrow, who was seven at the time. Two investigations concluded that the allegations were baseless, and authorities chose not to press charges. Since then, a bitter and complicated war of words has ensued, involving various individuals connected and unconnected to the case. Allen has consistently denied any wrongdoing, and legally, he is considered innocent. However, Farrow's supporters view his continued success as a disgrace.

Both directors recently premiered their films at the 80th Venice Film Festival, sparking protests against their inclusion. Signs with phrases like "Island of Rapists," "Polanski Wanted," and "Coupe de Chance: La justice ne fait pas son travail [Coup de Chance: Justice does not do its job]" were plastered around the festival venue. One banner even questioned if a rapist would receive the Golden Lion award.

However, it is clear that Polanski's film, The Palace, was a disaster, making it highly unlikely for him to receive any honors. Moreover, both Polanski's and Allen's films were shown out of competition. The Palace, which is meant to be a comedy, takes place in a luxurious hotel on the cusp of the new millennium. Unfortunately, the film feels like a poorly written script from that era. It is a relief that such films are no longer made.

The Palace features absurd attempts at humor, such as a dog defecating after consuming caviar, which is supposed to be comical. In another scene, the same pampered dog discovers a vibrator in a character's luggage and drops it on her bed in front of a plumber, aiming for hilarity. Mickey Rourke appears as a character resembling a mix of Donald Trump and Hulk Hogan, whose wig flies off when he opens a bottle of Champagne. John Cleese portrays a Texas billionaire with a much younger wife, leading to attempted laughs when she struggles to detach from him after sex. The film also includes Russian models, Russian gangsters, and older women with visible cosmetic surgery. A penguin aimlessly roams around. However, these elements do not make the film more interesting.

Reviews of The Palace have been scathing. The Times called it "an eye-scorching atrocity," Variety lamented that "nothing in the movie is funny," and The Telegraph noted that the humor feels outdated. The film feels like a dated sex comedy attempting to imitate The White Lotus. In this case, the question of separating the art from the artist does not apply because there is no art to speak of. Before the film's premiere, critics worried about the moral dilemma of reviewing the work of a child rapist if it turned out to be a masterpiece. However, the film's poor quality has allowed Polanski to cancel himself artistically and morally.

One cannot help but wonder if the Biennale organizers had this outcome in mind from the beginning. After watching The Palace, one is left grasping at straws to understand the rationale behind its inclusion. It all feels like a joke, and a much better joke than anything in the film itself.

Share With Others