The word “genius” came to my mind like a brisk wind from the north, a word that blew away all my worries and all my guilt. Polanski was a genius, after all, so the chips must fall in his favor. When it comes to balancing the greatness of the work against the badness of the deed, the word “genius” simply breaks the calculator. It’s a glittering absolute set into a dreary dutiful system of relative worth.
