Roman Polanski: Behind the Scenes of His Classic Early Films
Don your reading glasses, fellow cinephiles,
From time to time, I use this space to shine a spotlight on various film guides, reference books, and biographies that I feel should be on the bookshelf of every rabid film fan. Today’s selection may be considered controversial, but it is definitely worth your attention.
Roman Polanski: Behind the Scenes of His Classic Early Films
by Jordan R. Young
©2022 Applause Theatre & Cinema Books
Publication date: December, 15, 2022
241 pages
Roman Polanski is a controversial and polarizing figure, more often discussed today due to the scandals and tragedies of his personal life than for the merits of the movies that he shaped and directed. This is a shame, because many of his films are exceptional. Not only do they display a considerable talent and intellect on the part of Polanski. They also showcase career-best work from many of his collaborators, including cast, screenwriters, composers, cinematographers, art directors, and other technicians. It is understandable that some may find it uncomfortable viewing Polanski’s body of work, as the films are often disquieting even without the baggage of the director’s personal peccadillos. Still, it would be a tragedy to “cancel” the director’s work entirely and, by association, to “cancel” the performances and artistry of those who labored with him on the films.
Due to the “cancel” climate hovering over Roman Polanski, it is surprising that we are getting a new book on the director. Even more surprising is that the book is focused on the filmmaker’s art, rather than his personal life. Roman Polanski: Behind the Scenes of His Classic Early Films by journalist, film historian, and playwright Jordan R. Young is a welcome addition to the dozens of books and articles that have been written on the director. It is unique, in that it is an in-depth analysis of the creation of the 1966 cult classic, Cul-de-Sac (1966), utilizing first-person interviews with the director, surviving cast, and crew, along with new research utilizing archival records, including the shooting script, production call sheets, and sketches provided by the director himself. However, this is no dry film study. It is an entertaining narrative that is compulsively readable.
I really only have one criticism of Jordon R. Young’s book. The title, Roman Polanski: Behind the Scenes of His Classic Early Films, is something of a misnomer. It is the “s” on the end of the word “Films” that is the culprit, because the book is truly the study of a single film, Cul-de-Sac. The book does touch upon Polanski’s other early British-period films, Repulsion (1965) and Dance of the Vampires (better known as The Fearless Vampire Killers, 1967). However, they are discussed in relation to the film at the center of this study. Repulsion was a project that developed when Polanski was trying to find funding for his screenplay If Katelbach Comes… (coauthored with Gerard Brach) that was eventually retitled Cul-de-Sac; and Polanski began filming Dance of the Vampires during the promotion and premiere of Cul-de-Sac. Jordan R. Young could not have presented the full story of Cul-de-Sac, from its initial inception to its final reception, without mentioning the movies that bookend it in Polanski’s filmography. It appears that the book was always meant to be a single film study, as the full cast and crew credits of Cul-de-Sac are provided at the end of the book, and the same is not done for any of Polanski’s other films. I suspect the more generic title may have been a compromise between author and publisher (though I have no inside knowledge to confirm or deny it).
I only point out the slightly erroneous title so that interested readers know exactly what Jordan R. Young’s book is and isn’t. I am in no way disappointed by the Cul-de-Sac-centric focus of the book. In fact, I’m delighted by it. Cul-de-Sac is my personal favorite of Polanski’s films, and it is arguably his finest. Polanski himself even called it his best on more than one occasion. The film deserves to be better known and to be more widely discussed. One could not hope for a finer opening for that discussion than Jordan R. Young’s thorough and lively analysis of the film’s production.
The book covers all aspects of the creation of Cul-de-Sac. Chapters cover the inception of the project (influenced in part by the absurdist plays of Samuel Beckett), the search for financing (which led to the detour of Repulsion), casting, assembling the crew, the screenplay versus on-set improvisation, conflicts with the actors and other production hurdles, the ultimate release, and reception by critics and audiences. I was especially engrossed in a chapter which details the director’s pursuit of perfection in trying to film an extended 15-page scene, involving multiple actors and a timed flyover of a small aircraft, in a single take.
Jordan R. Young conducted numerous interviews with cast, crew, and their family members in assembling this history, but he did not just take the participants at their word. Young points out when the 50+ year recollections vary between interviewees, and he indicates when archival records reflect a different story from the one he was told.
Taken as a whole, I found Roman Polanski: Behind the Scenes of His Classic Early Films to be a fascinating examination of one of my favorite films. I would highly recommend the book to anyone with an interest in Polanski and his work. However, I’d recommend viewing Cul-de-Sac at least once, prior to diving into Jordan R. Young’s in-depth analysis.
Roman Polanski: Behind the Scenes of His Classic Early Films is available in hardcover and as a Kindle e-book:
It is also a good idea to have some familiarity with the movies discussed:
Additional titles by Jordan R. Young that are worth seeking out:
