Roman Polański

Roman Polański (born 18 August 1933) is a Polish-French film director, producer and screenwriter known for films such as Repulsion, Rosemary's Baby, Chinatown, Tess and The Pianist. He has been widely acclaimed for his formal mastery and psychological intensity; his career has also been marked by a long-running legal controversy stemming from a 1977 sex case in the United States and his subsequent flight from U.S. jurisdiction.

Pled guilty in 1977 to unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor; fled the U.S. in 1978 and has not returned to the United States to face sentencing. His films are frequently praised for psychological depth and formal rigor; he won major awards for The Pianist (including Academy recognition). He was expelled from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 2018.

DeBaser reviews praise Polański's formal mastery and recurring themes: paranoia, claustrophobia, and bourgeois malaise. Many reviews highlight key films (Repulsion, Rosemary's Baby, Chinatown, The Pianist) and adaptations. The corpus also repeatedly notes his long-running legal controversy and its effect on his career.

For:Cinephiles, students of film, and readers interested in auteur cinema and its controversies.