Abstract

This study deals with the representation of traumatic experience in Roman Polanski's oeuvre. I focus particularly on four films: Chinatown (1974), Bitter Moon (1992), Death & the Maiden (1994), and The Pianist (2002). My argument is that in these films, trauma acts not only as a textual (thematic and formal) motif, but also as an extra-textual element that offers insights into the emotional and psychological effects of traumatic experience. Polanski's own traumatic history--beginning with his experience of the Holocaust--makes him a fascinating and tragically fitting candidate for study. By examining Polanski's work from an authorial perspective as well as in relation to various psychoanalytic concepts, I trace the director's signature in the films' portrayal of male and female traumas. Through my analyses, I hope to show that a psychoanalytic auteur study generates an insightful point of entry into the discussion and understanding of Polanski's work.