“The Birth of a Nation” and Moral Dissonance
(10/12/16 4:00am)
When, if ever, should the actions of an artist negate the value of their art? In 1977, filmmaker Roman Polanski pled guilty to the drugging and statutory rape of a 13-year-old girl. Twenty-five years later, he won an Academy Award for Best Director for his film “The Pianist.” A gripping biopic about a Jewish man’s attempts at surviving Nazi Germany’s occupation of Warsaw, “The Pianist” is largely considered mandatory viewing in order to understand the terrifying nature of the Holocaust. It was also made by a rapist. Is that to say that a historically important and significant story should not be heard because of the actions of a single artist?