In the year of 2023, it would almost feel like some tasteless, ridiculous joke to learn that filmmakers Woody Allen and Roman Polanski are still somehow having their movies shown at larger film festivals. But as disastrous as that would sound as a mere joke, I regret to inform you that both men are actually receiving high honors for their latest films with the 2023 Venice Film Festival set to screen the projects.
As per The Wrap, Allen’s French thriller Coup de Chance and Polanski’s black comedy The Palace are both slated to receive their world premieres at this year’s festival. On that same note, the directors are being placed in a category up against Wes Anderson’s The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and William Friedkin’s The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial, but Allen and Polanski in the conversation has notably triggered backlash.
In the past, the ever-popular festival had boasted a variety of star-studded directors and creatives, but including films from 2 of the most disgraced filmmakers in history definitely feels like a sign that the dark days are truly upon us. Taking into account that both directors have received a whirlwind of controversy surrounding sexual abuse allegations over the years, it feels like an understatement for me to say that showcasing their movies is not a good look for cinema.
In fact, one has to sit and wonder why both filmmakers haven’t been fully banished from the realm of cinema already, but giving them the spotlight absolutely doesn’t feel like the best approach. But, who knows? Perhaps Allen can create huge marketing for Coup de Chance by joining another Instagram Live with Alec Baldwin.