| The Pianist |
| 2002, Focus. Directed by Roman Polanski. Starring Adrien Brody, Emilia Fox, Thomas Kretschmann, Frank Finlay, and Maureen Lipman. Rated R for disturbing images of the Holocaust, war violence, and some language. |
| Grade: A+ |
| Review by Anthony |
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| Roman Polanski, who was offered to direct the landmark Holocaust film Schindler's List by Steven Spielberg but turned it down, now gives us a colossal Holocaust-era achievement. The Pianist centers around the survival efforts of a Polish Jew, Wladislaw Szpilman, whose passion lies in playing the piano. Indeed he is so passionate about it that he is loathe to quit playing even when the Nazis are bombing Warsaw around the radio station for which he is playing at the film's opening. The film shows us the journey of this sole character as he endures the Nazi occupation of Poland, the transfer of Jews to the Warsaw Ghetto, and the constant fear of death at the hands of the Nazis. It effectively portrays the overwhelming horror of the Holocaust era, shocking us with the unbelievable brutality of the Nazis and the inestimable suffering of the Jews. (At the viewing I attended, loud gasps of horror could be heard from women in the audience at particularly disturbing moments.) Wladislaw Szpilman is in the midst of all of this horror and experiences tremendous personal suffering. But he keeps persevering, ever holding on to hope of survival; and we can't help but care about his struggle for life and hope along with him. The movie scares us with the sudden possibility of serious danger and keeps us suspense-filled more than once, at times to an almost unbearable level. Our attention is held throughout the movie and is heightened at crucial moments. The movie is further supported by beautiful pieces of Chopin played masterfully on the piano by (in part at least) Adrien Brody. The Pianist is a powerful, heart-moving film that deserves to be recognized as a classic. |