The Pianist (2002)

 Starring- Adrien Brody, Emilia Fox, Thomas Kretschmann, Frank Finaly, Ed Stoppard.

Directed by- Roman Polanski.

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Władysław Szpilman- “The life of a human being, let alone his personal freedom, is a matter of no importance. But the love of freedom is native to every human being and every nation, and cannot be suppressed in the long term. History teaches us that tyranny has never endured. And now we have blood-guilt on our conscience for the dreadful injustice of murdering the Jewish inhabitants.”



Everything that happens in this film is so sad.  Especially if you are a history buff. Please, I think this film should be in the top 10 best films of all time. World War II is one of the most frightening wars in history, if you read more about The Holocaust, you get more into it and you should. If you are not interested, then watch this film. It's a must see, otherwise how else will we learn from our mistakes? The Pianist is a beautiful and extremely dark tale about a man and the struggle to survive. The ending is so powerful and moving to know that sometimes one man can make a difference in a crowd of so many and I'm not talking about Adrien Brody's character. You'll see what I mean.

 Roman Polanski's account of the survival of the pianist, Wladyslaw Szpilman, is a document about how one man can overcome the worst possible situations in a world gone completely mad around him. What is amazing in the film, is the frankness in which director Polanski portrays the duplicity of some Jews in the ghetto. Yet, Mr. Polanski and Mr. Harewood show us that all was not as noble and dignified as some other films have treated this ugly side of war.



Adrien Brody is an interesting actor to watch. As the pianist of the story he exudes intelligence. There is a scene where Szpilman, in one of the safe houses he is taken, discovers an upright piano. One can see the music in his head and he can't contain himself in moving his fingers outside the closed instrument playing the glorious music from which he can only imagine what it will sound in his mind. And the amount of effort Adrien Brody put in to potraying his character was just WOW. I heard he broke up with his girlfriend, left his apartment, almost starved himself everyday by eating quite small meals, lost 13 kg (so he then weighed 58 kg which was dangerously underweight for a man of his height, 185 cm), sold his car, disconnected his phones, and left to Europe with only 2 bags and a keyboard with him. He definitely deserved that Oscar he got.
The supporting cast is excellent. Frank Findlay, a magnificent English actor is the father of the pianist and Maureen Lipman, another veteran of the stage, plays the mother with refined dignity. The movie makes you feel the inhuman acts done by Hitler's Nazi Germany on Jews during the 2nd world war and how a pianist survives this war by wonderful strokes of luck and some very good friends.



And the hard part is, it is based on a goddamn true story. That is the torture. That is war. It is overwhelming noise followed by deafening silence. Polanski pulls you in to listen as Wladyslaw Szpielman laboriously breathes in that quietness. So lean in. Sit uncomfortably with him in the empty spaces, and hold your breath.

The pain in Brody's voice was quite evident and clear went he kept saying- "I'm Polish, please don't kill me".
Excellent, Depressing, but Excellent!!

My Rating- 8/10.
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