Roman Polanski is wasting no time in celebrating his freedom, starting work on the adaptation of Yasmina Reza’s play “God of Carnage” — a dark comedy that “tells the story of two sets of parents brought together by an altercation between their respective children.” News of the project first arrived early in the year when Polanski’s house arrest was still fairly fresh. The play recently wrapped up a run on Broadway, and though it’s set in New York City, Polanski would obviously shoot it in Europe. Word is that it should go in front of cameras next year.
But the drama surrounding the failed bid to extradite Polanski hasn’t quite subsided. Apparently the U.S. Justice Department turned down requests by Swiss authorities to look at transcripts of testimony by Polanski’s original prosecutor about the case 33 years ago. Also interesting to note, is that Swiss authorities by law were not able to extradite Polanski if the sentence he ended up facing would be less than three months, hence, wanting to look at the testimony of original prosecutor Roger Gunson to see what he had in mind.
The point is moot now. Polanski is free, and will never return to the United States in his lifetime. At least, not by his own accord.
The play is really good, but very teatral. In the interview she gave to The Wall Street Journal says she accepted because they are friends and he is the master of huis clos. But it is quite brave of him to make the film in english when they could do in french as in the original…
I believe the title is "God of Carnage" (no s). At least that is what it was titled when my wife and I saw it on Broadway last fall. The cast was James Gandolfini, Jeff Daniels, Marcia Gay Harden, and Hope Davis. It was wickedly funny. Essentially one hour and forty-five minute scene of the four characters talking. Thoroughly enjoyable. It will be interesting to see whether he takes the story out of the living room where it is set.
Fixed, you're correct, we had it right in our original post. http://theplaylist.blogspot.com/2010/01/breaking-judge-rules-roman-polanski.html
just a slip.