Directed by:  Roman Polanski
Written by:  Ronald Harwood
Adapted from the book by:  Wladyslaw Szpilman
Starring:  Adrien Brody, Thomas Kretschmann
 

January 18, 2003

The Pianist literally opens with a bang.  As renowned pianist Wladyslaw Szpilman plays on the radio, a bomb drops nearby and explodes through the radio station.  While the others scramble to get out, Szpilman continues to play.  Throughout Polish filmmaker Roman Polanski’s The Pianist, Szpilman continues his detachment from the horror of the realities surrounding him, which in turn brilliantly gives the audience the dreadful view of the violence and brutalities of the Holocaust.

In the beginning, Szpilman and his family live in Warsaw.  We witness with them how the Nazis move in and take over everything.  They begin by taking away the Jewish people’s pride—no Jews are allowed in certain restaurants, then in the park, then on park benches, then they can only have so much money.  Finally, they are moved into a small area known as the Warsaw Ghetto.

Rumors constantly go around as to what the Nazis will do next—rumors of work camps and extermination.  While others were making it easy on themselves by working as Jewish police, Szpilman and his brother refuse to sell out, refuse to police their own people in this terrible time.  While each member of Szpilman’s family seems to deal with the circumstances differently, Szpilman internalizes his emotions and is only concerned with survival.

Polanski captures the horrific fear of Szpilman and the brutalities going on around him and his family.  We watch through windows across the way how the Nazis kill another family, or how the Jews uprise against the Nazis—all the while wondering how this is going to effect Szpilman.

The reality Polanski films in The Pianist is actually more gruesome than in Schindler’s List, because here it’s in color.  One of the reasons Spielberg filmed Schindler in black and white is to tone down the violence.  While Schindler is almost like an overview of the Holocaust, The Pianist is about one family, and one man’s survival.

Adrien Brody hands in another astonishing performance as Szpilman.  This role for him is like De Niro in Raging Bull.  He even lost 20-30 pounds for the last third of the film where Szpilman gets sick.  He is the kind of actor who portrays his character’s emotions—like when he begs for his brother’s life from the Jewish policeman, he uses his eyes to say everything.  Brody also gave an amazing performance in Spike Lee’s Summer of Sam, and won the Fidelio Film Award for Best Supporting Actor. 

After disappointing endeavors from Martin Scorsese, Woody Allen, Michael Mann, and various others, Polanski finally delivers with this very personal film, in what is by far the best film of the last two years.  The Pianist took the Palme d'Or award this year at the Cannes film festival. It hands down deserves to win the Best Picture and Best Director Academy Award, as did Schindler’s List.  Whereas Steven Spielberg is a celebrated director in Hollywood, Polanski was cast out of Hollywood, and fled this country years ago.  It may have been for good reason, but I say awards should judge the art, not the artist.  Although, he deserves to win and the film deserves to win, unfortunately, Oscar will probably look them over this year. 
 

To read more about Roman Polanski’s history, check out this collection of articles:
http://www.vachss.com/mission/roman_polanski.html
 

Recommended Alternatives:  Schindler’s List, Death and the Maiden, Summer of Sam, Focus

Check out these other Fidelio Film reviews:
Apocalypse Now Redux
Focus
Rules of Engagement
Summer of Sam
Three Kings