Roman Polanski: Behind the Scenes of His Classic Early Films

Between his 1962 debut A Knife in the Water and the 1968 blockbuster Rosemary's Baby, Roman Polanski directed three movies--Repulsion, Cul-de-Sac, and Dance of the Vampires (a.k.a. The Fearless Vampire Killers)--that remain a crucial but too often overlooked piece of his filmography. In this remarkable behind-the-scenes look at the director's early output, Jordan Young gives us a revealing look at Polanski at work in the years before his rise to global renown. Drawing on new research and interviews with principals on both sides of the camera--including direct access to the director--Young shares eye-opening, freshly unearthed details. We witness Polanski making movies under some of the worst possible conditions, contending with financing nightmares (both Repulsion and Cul-de-Sac were underwritten by exploitation-film peddlers), poisonous enmities amongst cast and crew, and collaborators who, in the director's words, did their best to make me feel like a monster. Polanski the provocateur is in full view here, placing actors in physical peril and deploying such unusual methods as slaughtering chickens to provide real blood for a death scene. While never shying away from unflattering or shocking details, Young still provides a nuanced and measured portrait of his subject--a rare look at a controversial artist in the act of creation.