Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired

Marina Zenovich intensely examines Polanski's conviction for unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor and the chaos that followed. When I first started the documentary, I thought it would be a long series of rationalizations or misdirections attempting to exonerate Polanski. I was wrong. There was much more to the case than I thought.
Zenovich builds the story brick by brick with footage of Polanski at the time, clips from his movies and unprecedented access to the key players. Both the defending and prosecuting attorneys have broken their silence and are interviewed at length. The once 13 year old girl victim is interviewed as an articulate adult woman.
We find that Polanski had reached a plea bargain deal and spent 43 days in Chino state prison undergoing a probationary evaluation before the Judge reneged and tried to change the sentencing because of his own failing public image. The judge, Laurence Rittenbrand is shown as a shameless publicity seeker more concerned with his own image than justice for the victim. Even the prosecutor said, "I'm not surprised he left the country under these circumstances."
After Polanski fled the country the defense and prosecuting attorneys worked together and successfully removed the judge from the case. The victim in the case has settled a civil case aginst Polanski and forgiven him saying he should be allowed to return to the country. Polanski is correct in saying the judge played with him as a cat might with a mouse.
In the end the documentary does not try to mitigate the wrong that Polanski did, but it does point to the corruption the American obsession with celebrity may cause.