“An Officer and a Spy” manages the rare distinction of being both dull and controversial
THE MOST controversial film in competition at this year’s Venice Film Festival is “J’Accuse” or “An Officer and a Spy”, not because of its subject or its style, but because it is directed by Roman Polanski. After Mr Polanski pleaded guilty to “unlawful intercourse with a minor” in America in 1977 he absconded from the country, but he was quickly forgiven by Hollywood. In 2003 he won an Oscar for directing “The Pianist”—not that he could collect his trophy in Los Angeles without risking arrest.
Adapted from Robert Harris’s novel, and co-written by Mr Harris and Mr Polanski, the film dramatises the Dreyfus affair, in which a Jewish major in the French army, Alfred Dreyfus, was wrongly convicted of selling secrets to Germany. Mr Polanski has told reporters that he knows a thing or two about such unjust anti-Semitic persecution himself, thus implying that “An Officer and a Spy” is, on one level, his angry response to his drop in stature.
At this stage, there are brief glimpses of what might have been: a gripping detective yarn, with almost as many magnifying glasses and bowlers hats as a Sherlock Holmes adventure. Later, there are some bursts of action when Emile Zola’s pro-Dreyfus editorial results in his books being tossed on a bonfire, and when Picquart—whose own anti-Semitism, unlike his fellow officers', does not obstruct his devotion to the truth—fights a duel and dodges an assassin’s bullets.
México Últimas Noticias, México Titulares
Similar News:También puedes leer noticias similares a ésta que hemos recopilado de otras fuentes de noticias.
Venice: Roman Polanski's Producers Threaten to Pull Film After Jury President's CommentsThe move is in response to Lucrezia Martel’s remark that she would not attend the film’s premiere because she did not want to 'congratulate' Polanski or offend victims of sexual assault.
Leer más »
Convicted rapist Roman Polanski feels persecuted by media in #MeToo eraPolanski was charged with drugging and raping a 13-year-old girl in 1977. He later pleaded guilty to unlawful sex with a minor, a statutory rape charge.
Leer más »
The Must-Have Sandals of the Summer Were Surprisingly Affordable, Shop Them Now Before the Season EndsThe hot weather hasn’t come to an end yet, so why should your summer footwear?
Leer más »
A College Student Fell 80 Feet While Doing Yoga On Her BalconyA College Student In Mexico Fell 80 Feel While Doing Yoga On Her Balcony
Leer más »
Lori Loughlin Couldn’t Believe Her Crime Was ‘Any Different’ Than Donating Money for a Building'She knows that her reputation has been ruined for life.'
Leer más »