Polanski

This in-depth examination of one of Hollywoods most famous, and infamous, directors and stars is utterly absorbing.

Born in Paris to Polish-Jewish parents, Polanski dealt with the terrors of his childhood including internment in Auschwitz by creating an elaborate fantasy world in which he lived as a film star. He would go on to become one of the very best and most infamous directors in Hollywoods history with a backlist that includes Repulsion; Rosemarys Baby; Macbeth; Chinatown; Tess; Frantic and, more recently, the Oscar and Golden Globewinning The Pianist. Yet it is within his personal life that the most dramatic story unfolds.

In August, 1969, his wife Sharon Tate, eight months pregnant, and seven of the couples friends were butchered by the Manson family. Polanski, the intended target, was in Paris at the time. Then, eight years later, he was arrested by LA police on charges of drugging and raping a 13-year-old girl. He fled the country and has since lived in exile in Paris. Polanskis latest film was the hit Oliver Twist and, it is rumoured, he promises to follow it with his long-awaited version of the Tate killings. Both projects, dealing with child exploitation and murder, can only fuel the controversy that surrounds him.

This biography is the first chance his fans and detractors have had to read about him in real depth.

Paperback. English. Arrow.