Top 5 Roman Polanski Films
By Austin Johnson
Connor and I recorded a great podcast going in detail about Roman Polanski’s career that you should definitely go check out. Read this, listen to that… I don’t give a shit what order you do it in, just do it. This Top 5 is the most stretching I’ve done so far, as I have been extremely close to the work of all the other directors I’ve done a Top 5 for. I was very familiar with just a few of his films before embarking on this journey with Connor, most of them being my first viewing. He is an absolute master craftsman, with a wide ranging resume that spans over four decades. Most certainly worth Filmgazm’s time. After watching these films, I realized that I really won’t be stressing about the order of these five films I choose.
Polanski is one of the most controversial individuals to ever exist in the film industry. His eye and natural talent proved themselves to be great time and time again, but personal decisions caused people to have opinions about him that go beyond the screen. Roman endured tragedy throughout his life, and then committed a tragic act himself upon someone else. If you want more on that, go check out the podcast. The top 5 is an exercise in respecting someone’s films. Polanski was nominated for Best Director for Chinatown and Tess, and finally won at the 75th Academy Awards for The Pianist.
Polanski is one of the most controversial individuals to ever exist in the film industry. His eye and natural talent proved themselves to be great time and time again, but personal decisions caused people to have opinions about him that go beyond the screen. Roman endured tragedy throughout his life, and then committed a tragic act himself upon someone else. If you want more on that, go check out the podcast. The top 5 is an exercise in respecting someone’s films. Polanski was nominated for Best Director for Chinatown and Tess, and finally won at the 75th Academy Awards for The Pianist.
5.) Carnage (2011)
"Keep on stroking your own ego. It's beautiful"
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Roman has always had an odd sense of humor, and Carnage lets it shine better than ever. We get a very random, but dominant cast with Christoph Waltz, Kate Winslet, Jodie Foster, and John C. Reilly. They all seem to have a shit ton of fun with hilarious dialogue to play with, and just one apartment to say it all in. The film made no money, but both Winslet and Foster were nominated for Golden Globes, rightfully so, as they are both high feathered peacocks, making that apartment their stage.
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4.) Frantic (1988)
"How do you… with an ‘S’ for shithead!"
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You can’t get much bigger than Harrison Ford in the 80’s. He dominated that decade portraying monumental characters like Han Solo, Indiana Jones, and Rick Deckard. In '88, he played the role of Dr. Richard Walker, a man whose wife disappears in Paris. It’s almost like Walker has to summon the powers of all those previous characters to get through the obstacles in Frantic. Polanski made a film that defines the word thriller, with his signature set pieces shining bright, reminding us just whose mind we are in. 15 years after this film came out, Harrison Ford opened the envelope for Best Director at the 75th Academy Awards, when Polanski got a standing ovation, even though he wasn’t there.
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3.) The Pianist (2002)
"Here, sell this. Food is more important than time."
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We have seen countless films centered around World War II, but Polanski gave us a glimpse of people trying their hardest to stay alive through the perspective of one of those people. Adrien Brody provides a career-defining performance as Wladyslaw Szpilman, a Polish musician doing anything he can to stay alive during one of the worst times in human history. Roman reminded us just how gifted he is with The Pianist, finally snagged that Best Director award, and we saw Brody take his first and only Oscar home as well.
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2.) Rosemary's Baby (1968)
“This is no dream! This is really happening!”
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Rosemary’s Baby is without a doubt one of the must-see horror films, as it stands out among the rest due to its plot being absolutely horrifying. From the creepy ass "La La La’s" at the beginning of the film to Rosemary’s (Mia Farrow) realization that her child is indeed the devil’s first born, we are strapped in for an unforgettable ride. Polanski floored audiences in the 60’s with a horror film that was made so well, that people just had to experience the nightmare that the Woodhouses endure at the Bramford apartments in New York City. Rosemary’s Baby was one of the first horror films to make noise at the Oscars, and even saw some silverware with a win for Ruth Gordon’s performance as the Woodhouses' neighbor, Minnie Castevet.
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1.) Chinatown (1974)
“But, Mrs. Mulwray, I goddamn near lost my nose. And I like it. I like breathing through it. And I still think you're hiding something.”
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No surprise here as Chinatown is seen as a masterpiece by everyone who has seen it. Roman was really at the peak of his powers in 1974 when this came out, helping produce one of Jack Nicholson’s all-time performances as J.J. Gittes, the private detective. Chinatown is guaranteed to come up when talking about mystery films, as well as films that just simply fire on all cylinders. Faye Dunaway took on an extremely hard role in my opinion, going toe to toe with Jack the whole way through. This is the Polanski holy grail, and the Academy thought so as well, nominating it 11 times at the 47th awards, equaling The Godfather: Part II, which is, well you know, the fucking Godfather: Part II. Any other year in the 70’s and Chinatown really had a chance to win Best Picture, but that’s just how it goes sometimes.
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