Artists are not necessarily great human beings

We finally got around to watching the movie The Pianist. How strange to describe a film about the Holocaust as "beautiful". Yet, it truly is. Gorgeously filmed, wonderful cast. We follow a talented Jewish pianist (Adrian Brody, in his Academy Award performance) as he is caught up in the Holocaust in Warsaw, Poland. Deeply moving.

Directed by famous pedophile Roman Polanski.

How do we wrap our minds around this? We assume greatness in one area of life implies greatness in all. Alas, it doesn't. Polanski is a great artist, but not necessarily a great human being. With his recent arrest, Hollywood has flocked to his defense. It wasn't "rape-rape" proclaimed Whoopie Goldberg. Let's see. A 13-year old girl. Barbiturates. She said no. Oh, but it was a long time ago. Oh, but she was set up by her mother. Oh, but it was a different time. Oh, but he lost his wife and unborn child in a brutal murder. Oh, but he is a survivor of the Holocaust. All true. But. There is only one relevant fact: a 13-year old girl. And, I will add, one more relevant fact. Very few pedophiles have only one victim. Usually, they have as many as they can. They just don't get caught.

Bringing up The Holocaust as an excuse. This insults all Survivors. Contrary to popular belief, most trauma survivors do not become perpetrators themselves.

No. Polanski is truly a great artist. He may indeed be a wonderful man to his family, to his friends. Many perpetrators live "double lives". It's called compartmentalization.

Greatness in one area does not guarantee greatness in others. In cultivating our art, let us not neglect to cultivate our soul.