Polanski: A Biography

Christopher Sandford

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.

What people are saying

POLANSKI: A Biography

User Review  - Kirkus

The tumultuous story of a director whose signature movies—dark, bleakly funny, shot through with perversity and paranoia—reflect the sensibility of an artist shaped by circumstances more harrowing ...

Polanski

User Review  - Not Available - Book Verdict

Biographer Sandford (McCartney; Kurt Cobain) delivers the latest work to explore Roman Polanski, notoriously controversial director of Rosemary's Baby, Chinatown, and The Pianist. Recounted are many ...

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

About the author

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.

Bibliographic information

• Title: Polanski: A Biography
• Author: Christopher Sandford
• Edition: illustrated, reprint
• Publisher: Macmillan, 2009
• ISBN: 0230611761, 9780230611764
• Length: 400 pages
• Subjects: Biography & Autobiography / Entertainment & Performing Arts; Performing Arts / Film / History & Criticism