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Mar 12, 2003 Wladyslaw Szpilman: Adrien Brody Dorota: Emilia Fox Henryk: Ed Stoppard The Father: Frank Finlay The Mother: Maureen Lipman Capt. Wilm Hosenfeld: Thomas Kretschmann Directed by: Roman Polanski Written by: Ronald Harwood Based on the book by Wladyslaw Szpilman Running Time: 148 minutes Rated: R (for violence and brief strong language) Based upon the stunning autobiography that was written by Wladyslaw Szpilman himself, The Pianist is a shocking movie that tells the horrifying and yet remarkable true story about the musician who had to endure so much just to survive. It was not the story about a hero or a freedom fighter, but instead one about a normal guy who is forced to live and experience the horror that is the true face of war. It's the story about a young and very popular pianist who also happens to be a Jew living within occupied Poland at the beginning of the Second World War. Szpilman and his family are forcefully moved from ghetto to ghetto by the Nazi's for the better part of three years. After being separated from his family, Szpilman's next five years are spent hiding and running from the Germans. Even the slightest movements like a dropped dish would cause people to ring alarms and come after him. Unwilling to give in, Szpilman does his best to carry on, hoping that he can live long enough to see the end of the war. It's a horrific tale that is shocking to watch as it's violence and barbaric nature is a part of our world's history. A warning for those who are sensitive to violence on the screen: 'The Pianist' is a very difficult movie to get through. The audience from the very beginning is forced to witness along with Szpilman the real horrors of living through one of the world’s most vicious wars. This is easier said than done, as it seems the director went out of his way to make sure that the audience was given as much of the experience as humanly possible. We are forced to watch Szpilman experience hunger, isolation and at times even madness during his quest to regain his freedom. Szpilman throughout the film acts more like an outsider, as he eventually distances himself from both sides hoping it's enough to keep him alive. This film is Polanski's strongest work in decades. It's a work of art that presents a chilling tale that works hard to avoid the cliches and pitfalls other films within its genre fail to avoid. There is no happy fairy tail ending in this movie. Szpilman leaves the war with deep scars that will haunt him for the rest of his life and is a different man after suffering an experience no one should have to endure. Polanski's direction is amazing, as the filmmaker went out of his way to present a lucid look at the war that did it's best to avoid preaching and glorifying anything that happened around Szpilman. Instead, it seemed that Polanski chose to just tell the story just as it happened and nothing more. Adrien Brody gives a magnificent performance as Szpilman that basically carried the entire picture. The film centers on Brody's character, as there is not a single scene that he isn't in. He's the focus from start to finish and clearly the foundation of the entire film. It's a performance that takes Brody to new levels, and I can clearly say his Oscar nomination for 'Best Actor' is well deserved. There are many scenes through his isolated moments when Brody uses nothing more than his posture and even his eyes to capture what the character is feeling to give us all a sense of what the war had done to this poor soul. We follow Brody's character as he watches his home turn from a beautiful city at the beginning of the war turn to rubble by the time the Russians arrive when it's all over. When its all over, we know that only luck has saved this man from suffering the same fate that hundreds of thousands of Polish Jew suffered during the Nazi occupation. Through this character's eyes, we witness the same atrocities that he suffered and observed while in at ground zero during what can only be described as the mother of all wars. Roman Polanski's `The Pianist' is a brilliant film that presents a powerful new chapter into the holocaust film genre. It's a very difficult film to digest but one worth experiencing as direction and outstanding lead acting are worth the price of admission alone. The film gives a chilling look back at what was definitely not humanity's finest hour, another example of how devastating and vicious war can really be. This movie clearly deserved every Oscar nomination it got, and it will be the movie I hope wins as it's a magnificent piece of work that deserves to be recognized by the film industry. If you can handle the shocking approach Polanski makes with 'The Pianist', then I recommend you take a chance to view a part of history no one should ever be allowed to forget... Rating: 10 (Out of 10) Peter Lowry is a recent graduate of Memorial University of Newfoundland, with a Bachelor's degree in English Language and Literature. He still resides in St.John's, Newfoundland where is currently working on writing books of fiction and poetry. Email Peter Lowry: Peter_24601@hotmail.com ------------ Comment on this column in the forum. ------------ |
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