I’m not going to offer any argument in the debate over Roman Polanski, who was arrested in Zurich Saturday for a crime that’s older than I am (by 10 days). I’m just going to let this be a straight roundup of blog commentary related to the case, particularly to the divisiveness of support and anger sparked by the arrest and threat of extradition. It was enough that everyone had an opinion on the web yesterday concerning the topic, now it’s time for everyone to lash out against those who disagree with them, especially against the many film industry heavies who’ve signed a petition (and others rallied by the journal La Règle du jeu) asking for Polanski’s release.

Feel free to comment with your own arguments below, but only if you’ve seen the documentary Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired. See the film even if you don’t wish to share your opinion, though, especially since there’s now a very good possibility we’ll be getting at least one sequel to the doc in the future.

Check out the film blog responses to the Polanski “culture war”* after the jump:

• * S.T. VanAirsdale at Movieline has an essay titled “Why You Should Care About the Roman Polanski Culture War.” His fearsome predictions for what will happen next:
  

  And, God forbid, should the worst occur, expect Media World War — Europe vs. America, take no prisoners. Expect a destabilized D.A.’s office, maybe even some disbarments. Civil suits on behalf of everyone from Polanski’s wife Emmanuelle Seigner to the aggrieved Zurich Film Festival. Human rights-violation claims from the U.N. Endless debates on whether Polanski’s final film, the now-delayed The Ghost, was completed the way he intended it. Another abortive Mia Farrow fast. And don’t even think you’ll be able to find a copy of Chinatown on Netflix before 2011.

• Jeff Wells at Hollywood Elsewhere responds to the Wikipedia war going on following Polanski’s arrest. It could also be used to describe the greater debate/culture war now ensuing:
  

  I wrote this morning that there seems to be something almost fetishistic about this case for some people — a weirdly lopsided and enduring sense of vengeance that they feel a need to pursue. There’s something oddly primal going on here. Some kind of metaphor they’re reading into it.

• In addition to signing the petition, Harvey Weinstein has written an opinion piece for The Independent in which he displays continued plans to get important people on board for the cause:
  

  I hope the US government acts swiftly because because film makers are looking for justice to be properly served. I will be organising the effort myself by emailing everybody I know to sign the petition. And I know that Thierry Fremaux has got hold of Nicolas Sarkozy.

  We will have to speak to our leaders as well – particularly in California. I’m not too shy to go and talk to the Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and to ask him once and for all to look at this. The problem is to do with the legal situation in the state. They are doing this because they want a circus, to make their toughness overt – and that is where I draw the line. This is the government of the United States not giving its word and recanting on a deal, and it is the government acting irresponsibly and criminally.

• Kate Harding at Jezebel will apparently be boycotting the work of all petition signatories:
  

  I’m just sickened to see some of the names on these lists — people I’ve long admired, and whose work I’ve shelled out for on multiple occasions. But at the same time, I’m glad the names of unapologetic child rapist supporters are being made public, so I can consider their stance on art vs. child rape when choosing how to spend my entertainment dollars.

• Vince Mancini at FilmDrunk jokes about Woody Allen’s support for Polanski by sharing an imagined conversation:
  

  The first signatory they list is Woody Allen.  Said Polanski, “Dude, you’re not helping.” [...] WOODY ALLEN: Leave him alone!  All he did was have sex with a 13-year-old!
  ROMAN POLANSKI: Yeah!  I mean, it’s not like she was my stepdaughter or anything!
  WOODY ALLEN: Aw, dude. Cold, bro. Cold.

• Todd at IDontLikeYouInThatWay.com is not happy with the signers of the petition:
  

  Here are a list of names in the entertainment industry who have signed the FREE POLANSKI! petition. Woody Allen is obviously no surprise, but fuck you Martin Scorsese, Wes Anderson, and Darren Aronofsky.

• C. Nicole Mason at The Huffington Post will not be signing the petition:
  

  I am shocked by the outpouring of support from celebrities and others who have come to Mr. Polanksi’s defense and have pleaded for his release. The victim, now in her late 40s, has even stepped forward to ask that he be released. While many use this as additional justification to set him free, we all know that its not unusual for victims of violence to let their perpetrators off the hook because they do not want to relive the traumatic experience. In her case, she is probably receiving around the clock calls from Debra Winger and others asking that she forgive and forget.

• Chez Pazienza at The Huffington Post also criticizes the celebrity support:
  

  And yet Europe’s artistic community — specifically French, Swiss and Polish filmmakers and cultural trendsetters — seem to truly believe that Roman Polanski’s abilities should amount to a Get Out of Jail Free card. That it’s okay if the stereotypically tortured artist broke a few eggs along the way as long as the omelet came out looking like The Pianist. That in the end, the greater good was served by having Polanski free to make movies.

• Christian Toto at Big Hollywood sides with commenters upset with the Huffington Post writers who support the release of Polanski:
  

  Could this be the work of conservative “trolls” trying to sway opinion on the site? Possible, but highly doubtful. My best guess is that some issues go beyond ideology, like sticking up for a 13-year-old girl cruelly attacked by a much older man. Thank goodness for that.

• John Nolte at Big Hollywood meanwhile rounds up quotes from Polanski supporters with the belief that it’s kind of trendy to be in favor of the filmmaker:
  

  This is how degenerate Hollywood’s become: Today it’s more damaging to your career to buck the “cool kids”  and speak out against the child rapist than it is to be the child rapist.

• Stuart Wood at Cinema Blend argues against these “hipsters” supporting Polanski:
  

  Back the hell up one minute here. You’re defending a convicted child rapist. Say it again. A. Convicted. Child. Rapist. What the hell is wrong with you people? Polanski was found guilty in court of raping a 13 year old girl. When he realized this would mean sharing a cell for several years with a large man who would probably make him his cell bitch, he ran away to Europe like a spineless worm. He was not fleeing from some miscarriage of justice, some unfair sting, no he ran away because he was worried his plea bargain would fall through and he wouldn’t get the lenient sentence he was relying on.

• David Poland at The Hot Blog squashes every pro-Polanski rationalization offered up by the supporters:
  

  He’s guilty… he admits he’s guilty… he ran… but we like him… so it’s okay.

  Epic Fail.

  If you want to make the argument, make a real argument.

  I haven’t heard one yet.

• Brad Brevet at RopeofSilicon criticizes the statement from Zurich Film Festival jury president Debra Winger, in which she hopes for Polanski’s release:
  

  What? Does she even know what she is saying? Does the addition of “minor technicalities” in that statement make it any better? I would be interested to hear her explanation as to these “technicalities,” and if it’s that simple why wouldn’t Polanski have returned to the U.S. since he fled 31 years ago? Doesn’t Polanski’s continued time abroad as well as requests to have the charges dropped insinuate he would return if he wasn’t worried about facing the music these minor technicalities?

• Vince Mancini at FilmDrunk speculates as to the real reason Brett Ratner supports Polanski:
  

  Meanwhile, as part of my continuing coverage of asinine Brett Ratner Tweets, it appears that the Rat man is also friends with Polanski’s 16-year-old daughter, Morgane, tweeting just last week, “@MorganePolanski i love u more than Miley!!!!!!!”   So I ask: would it not be the height of irony if Brett Ratner was only befriending Roman Polanski to get close to his underage daughter?  …Allegedly.  But get your mind out of the gutter, he’s not interested in her sexually.  The dude has been known to quote Jonas Brothers lyrics. He probably just needs someone with whom to discuss puffy paint and trapper keepers.  In fact, she’s probably a little old for him.

• Dan Hopper at Best Week Ever jokes about the French position:
  

  The country of France has appealed to the United States asking for Roman Polanski’s release. In protest, the cafeteria in the French Parliament has changed the name of “American cheese” to “F*ck you America we don’t eat this sh*t anyway.”

• Jonathan Rosenbaum at JonathanRosenbaum.com addresses the angry citizens who are in favor of Polanski’s extradition (also quoted by Jeff Wells at Hollywood Elsewhere):
  

  American lynch mobs never die; they only become more self-righteous about their savagery.