Paris (AFP)

Roman Polanski's film, "J'accuse", took the lead of the French box office with more than 500,000 spectators for his first week in the cinema, despite the controversy over his director accused of rape, according to the ranking of CBO Box Office Wednesday.

This is the "best start of his career," says the specialized organization, according to which the precedent was "The ninth door" (499,344 entries the week of its release in 1999). However, data are not available for Polanski's films prior to 1995.

Programmed on 545 screens in France, "J'accuse", devoted to the Dreyfus affair, attracted 501,228 spectators, an average of 920 seats per room. This total takes into account entries made since its release on November 13 as well as previews.

"J'accuse", with Jean Dujardin, ahead of the big budget American film "Le Mans 66" (402,917 spectators in one week). If it makes a very good start compared to the previous Polanski films, it ranks 29th only among the best starts of the year.

"I accuse" came out in full controversy, after a new charge of rape against the filmmaker Franco-Polish 86 years. The photographer Valentine Monnier says she was "beaten" and raped by the director in 1975 at the age of 18, in Switzerland.

Roman Polanski has also been prosecuted for more than 40 years by US justice for illegal sex with a minor in 1977. Since then, he has been the subject of several other rape charges, which he refuted.

After a difficult promotion, a preview in Paris on November 12 and a session in Rennes on the 16th and another in Bordeaux on Tuesday night were canceled due to blockages and disruption by feminist activists.

A hashtag #BoycottPolanski appeared on social media and several personalities said they would not go see the film, such as the Secretary of State for Gender Equality Marlene Schiappa or the government spokeswoman Sibeth Ndiaye.

Awarded the Silver Lion of the Venice Film Festival in September, "J'accuse" also aroused reservations, especially because Roman Polanski had said repeatedly that he saw in this case an echo to his own story, considering themselves "persecuted".

© 2019 AFP