More than any other film director, Roman Polanski has obsessively explored sexual mores in the mainstream of movies. But a Polanski movie isn't for the small-time art house crowd - they are big screen events, whether it is the atmosphere of terror in Rosemary's Baby or the reconstruction of forties film noir of Chinatown.

Polanski was nominated for an Oscar for his first feature, Knife In The Water, bringing him instant fame, and his examinations of sexual humiliation (Repulsion, Cul-de-Sac) would bring his name to an even wider audience. His movies have ranged from adaptations of Shakespeare (Macbeth) to stylish thrillers (The Tenant, Frantic, Death And The Maiden), from horror (Rosemary's Baby, The Ninth Gate) to comedy (The Fearless Vampire Killers) to romance (Tess).

Off-screen, Polanski has hit the headlines - his wife Sharon Tate was murdered by Charles Manson and he was later accused of drugging and raping an underage girl which has made him a fugitive from the United States.

The Pocket Essential Roman Polanski explores the life of this world famous BAFTA and Golden Globe-winning director, reviews and analyses each of his movies, and includes a handy multi-media reference section.

Books by Daniel Bird