Polanski: A Biography

Front Cover
Macmillan, Nov 10, 2009 - Biography & Autobiography - 400 pages

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. Sandford's fascinating biography illuminates the life and work of one of the most important careers in modern cinema.

 

Contents

Directors Cut Chapter 2 Hitler
11
Stalin
39
Bolshevisms Boy Wonder
75
Manson
119
Shakespeare Sex and Surrealism
165
The Trial
213
Frantic
263
Roman Holiday
301
Oscar
327
Filmography
357
Bibliography
361
Sources and Chapter Notes
363
Index
371
Copyright

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About the author (2009)

Christopher Sandford has published acclaimed biographies of Kurt Cobain, Mick Jagger, Paul McCartney, Imran Khan, Harold Macmillan, John F. Kennedy, Steve McQueen, and Roman Polanski. He is also the author of Masters of Mystery: The Strange Friendship of Arthur Conan Doyle and Harry Houdini. He has worked as a film and music writer and reviewer for over 20 years, and frequently contributes to newspapers and magazines on both sides of the Atlantic. Rolling Stone has called him "the pre-eminent author in his field today." Sandford divides his time between Seattle and London.