Roman Polanski Blames The Pill For ‘Chasing Away The Romance’

Controversial director Roman Polanski is blaming the pill for the death of romance in modern society. He also has some strong feelings about gender equality.

The filmmaker attended this year’s Cannes Film Festival to promote his latest feature Venus in Fur. The Chinatown director’s latest effort stars his wife Emmanuelle Seigner.

According to AFI, Polanski was asked by a reporter about his thoughts on women. It was around this time that he blamed birth control pills for “masculinising” them. The director said that birth control was also “chasing away the romance” in modern society.

“I think that now offering flowers to a lady becomes indecent, that’s how I feel about it,” the filmmaker explained. He added that striving for female equality was a “great pity.”

“I think to level the genders — it’s purely idiotic. I think it’s a result … of progress in medicine. I think that the Pill has changed greatly the woman of our times, ‘masculinising’ her. I think that it chases away the romance from our lives and that’s a great pity,” he added.

Gender roles play a huge part in Polanski’s Venus in Furs. The film tells the story of an actress who turns the tables on a powerful male director. Since his wife stars in the feature, The Guardian reports Polanski was quick to shoot down any suggestions that the same thing may have happened in real life.

“There was a macho element to [the director] character that was torn to pieces. That was enjoyable. People who know me know there is nothing like that in my personality, so it gave me great satisfaction to do it,” the filmmaker explained.

Polanski’s decision to blame the pill for “masculinising” women is the second sexist comment made by an aging celebrity at this year’s film festival. Jerry Lewis came under fire earlier this week after saying that he doesn’t find female comedian particularly funny.

“I can’t see women doing that. It bothers me. I cannot sit and watch a lady diminish her qualities to the lowest common denominator. I just can’t do that,” he said.

What do you think about Roman Polanksi blaming the pill for “masculinising” women and “chasing away the romance?”

[Image via cinemafestival / Shutterstock.com]