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The title is an understatement, and so is the film. Roman Polanski's "The Pianist" tells the story of a Polish Jew, a classical musician, who survived the Holocaust through stoicism and good luck. This is not a thriller, and avoids any temptation to crank up suspense or sentiment; it is the pianist's witness to what he saw and what happened to him. That he survived was not a victory when all whom he loved died; Polanski, in talking about his own experiences, has said that the death of his mother in the gas chambers remains so hurtful that only his own death will bring closure.

The film is based on the autobiography of Wladyslaw Szpilman , who was playing Chopin on a Warsaw radio station when the first German bombs fell. Szpilman's family was prosperous and seemingly secure, and his immediate reaction was, "I'm not going anywhere." We watch as the Nazi noose tightens. His family takes heart from reports that England and France have declared war; surely the Nazis will soon be defeated and life will return to normal.

It does not. The city's Jews are forced to give up their possessions and move to the Warsaw ghetto, and there is a somber shot of a brick wall being built to enclose it. A Jewish police force is formed to enforce Nazi regulations, and Szpilman is offered a place on it; he refuses, but a good friend, who joins, later saves his life by taking him off a train bound for the death camps. Then the movie tells the long and incredible story of how Szpilman survived the war by hiding in Warsaw, with help from the Polish resistance.

Szpilman is played in the film by Adrien Brody , who is more gaunt and resourceless than in Ken Loach's " Bread And Roses " (2000), where he played a cocky Los Angeles union organizer. We sense that his Szpilman is a man who came early and seriously to music, knows he is good, and has a certain aloofness to life around him. More than once we hear him reassuring others that everything will turn out all right; this faith is based not on information or even optimism, but essentially on his belief that, for anyone who plays the piano as well as he does, it must.

Polanski himself is a Holocaust survivor, saved at one point when his father pushed him through the barbed wire of a camp. He wandered Krakow and Warsaw, a frightened child, cared for by the kindness of strangers. His own survival (and that of his father) are in a sense as random as Szpilman's, which is perhaps why he was attracted to this story. Steven Spielberg tried to enlist him to direct " Schindler's List ," but he refused, perhaps because Schindler's story involved a man who deliberately set out to frustrate the Holocaust, while from personal experience Polanski knew that fate and chance played an inexplicable role in most survivals.

The film was shot in Poland (where he had not worked since his first feature film, "Knife in the Water," in 1962), and also in Prague and in a German studio. On giant sets he recreates a street overlooked by the apartment where Szpilman is hidden by sympathizers; from his high window the pianist can see the walls of the ghetto, and make inferences about the war, based on the comings and goings at the hospital across the street. Szpilman is safe enough here for a time, but hungry, lonely, sick and afraid, and then a bomb falls and he discovers with terror that the running water no longer works. By now it is near the end of the war and the city lies in ruins; he finds some rooms standing in the rubble, ironically containing a piano that he dare not play.

The closing scenes of the movie involve Szpilman's confrontation with a German captain named Wilm Hosenfeld ( Thomas Kretschmann ), who finds his hiding place by accident. I will not describe what happens, but will observe that Polanski's direction of this scene, his use of pause and nuance, is masterful.

Some reviews of "The Pianist" have found it too detached, lacking urgency. Perhaps that impassive quality reflects what Polanski wants to say. Almost all of the Jews involved in the Holocaust were killed, so all of the survivor stories misrepresent the actual event by supplying an atypical ending. Often their buried message is that by courage and daring, these heroes saved themselves. Well, yes, some did, but most did not and--here is the crucial point--most could not. In this respect Tim Blake Nelson's " The Grey Zone " (2001) is tougher and more honest, by showing Jews trapped within a Nazi system that removed the possibility of moral choice.

By showing Szpilman as a survivor but not a fighter or a hero--as a man who does all he can to save himself, but would have died without enormous good luck and the kindness of a few non-Jews--Polanski is reflecting, I believe, his own deepest feelings: that he survived, but need not have, and that his mother died and left a wound that had never healed.

After the war, we learn, Szpilman remained in Warsaw and worked all of his life as a pianist. His autobiography was published soon after the war, but was suppressed by Communist authorities because it did not hew to the party line (some Jews were flawed and a German was kind). Republished in the 1990s, it caught Polanski's attention and resulted in this film, which refuses to turn Szpilman's survival into a triumph and records it primarily as the story of a witness who was there, saw, and remembers.

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

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Film credits.

The Pianist (2003)

Rated R For Violence and Brief Strong Language

148 minutes

Adrien Brody as Wladyslaw Szpilman

Emilia Fox as Dorota

Thomas Kretschmann as Capt. Wilm Hosenfeld

Frank Finlay as The Father

Maureen Lipman as The Mother

Based On The Book by

• Wladyslaw Szpilman

Directed by

• Roman Polanski
• Ronald Harwood

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The Pianist: a Summary

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Published: Aug 24, 2023

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Survival in the midst of chaos, resilience and hope, the power of music as a lifeline, historical realism and authenticity, conclusion: a testament to the human spirit.

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"The Pianist": A Historically Accurate Depiction of the Holocaust

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The Pianist [2002] Review: A Poignant Commentary On the Horrors of the Holocaust

Context. Perspective. Aftermath. These words are continuously called into the minds of the viewers while watching Roman Polanski’s masterpiece, The Pianist . A favorite at the then award shows sweeping multiple awards, including the Palme d’Or and the Academy Award for Actor, Director, Screenplay- The Pianist is a very strong representation of the sensibilities prevailing during the Holocaust.

‘Context’ becomes very important while watching the movie and rightly so. After all, how could the millennial generation understand something that is entirely alien to them? The world is radically different today, we do not have any great wars. Yet, the world is becoming increasingly paranoid. The great wars were fought on lofty ideals, today there are no great ideals- just identity theft. And while there are umpteen reasons why a movie such as this would never reach this generation as much as the previous ones, it does open doors- we need to see what happened then and make of it whatever we want to.

Similar to The Pianist – 10 DISTRESSING FILMS ON THE POTENTIAL AFTERMATHS OF A NUCLEAR HOLOCAUST

‘Perspective’ is another important thing that comes into play here. Often, it is has been seen that historical narratives are biased or one-sided, at best. While everyone is free to offer their own narratives, it is the narrative backed by the most powerful agency that endures. American narrative on the world wars has not only dominated academia but the film industry as well. War, however horrific, definitely makes some people very rich. Well, in the case of Hollywood, it has continued to make filmmakers very rich.

While there are indeed some films which stand out as brilliant, many of them are flawed narratives. The whole American narrative focuses on the triumph of the righteous, while graphic violence cluttered with technology is used to add effect to it. War seems a just reason to redeem the world and everything in between seems justified. But, there is a completely different narrative, mostly untold in Hollywood- that of a survivor’s. The survivor is not portrayed as a hero like in the American narrative- he has somehow survived by running away and not fighting injustice. The wounds inflicted are permanent and nothing goes back to normal once the war is over. There are no medals of honor nor any celebration of the war heroes, only a sense of profound loss.

The Pianist has two Holocaust survivors- Roman Polanski and Władysław Szpilman (Adrien Brody). Polanski himself escaped the Kraków Ghetto when his mother died. It is quite obvious that his narrative would be quite different as well as uncluttered from technology- something American filmmakers haven’t done yet. The movie opens to a brilliant piece by Chopin played by Szpilman, who is a pianist at the Polish radio station. Poland has just been attacked by Germany and we get to see how this affects the life of Szpilman and his family. The movie is the story of how he survives the horrors of the Holocaust through sheer luck and desperation. The walled ghettos are a site in the movie and how millions of Jews were exterminated in Operation Reinhard makes for a nauseous viewing.

Violence is quite graphic in the movie- shooting of Jews in the heads, burning down of hospitals and buildings, a man in a wheelchair is tossed off a balcony, a man lying injured in the road is run over by a tank. But it is not without purpose like some other movies. Polanski has a difficult story to tell and his art shines throughout the movie. A particularly touching scene in the movie is where Szpilman’s entire family shares a caramel before being sent away to the extermination camp. The profound sense of shattered families and lost homes is heartbreaking and this is where the sheer cruelty of Nazis shines on us.

Adrien Brody delivers a stellar performance. His transformation from a suave pianist to a desolate skeleton desperate for survival is outstanding. The movie manages to use him well. However, the last leg appears stretched and creates a sense of monotony. A lack of sense of drama is also visible which, though is a chilling portrayal, gives the narrative a lull. The rest of the characters come and go just as they are meant to in a lone survivor’s life. A particular thing which seems lacking in the narrative is Szpilman’s reaction to the murder of his family and his losses in general. He seems to go all the way quite numb to everything that has happened in between. The only reaction powerful enough is when he plays Chopin’s ‘Ballade No. 1 in G minor’- a reminiscent of his earlier life as a pianist in stark contrast to what the war changed him into.

Also, Read – I DO NOT CARE IF WE GO DOWN IN HISTORY AS BARBARIANS [2018]: TIFF REVIEW – ‘CRITIQUE OF PURE REASON’

The cinematography of the movie is top-notch. Polanski’s own background seems to help the cause of filming well. The movie was primarily shot in Babelsberg Studio in Potsdam, Germany where most scenes of the ghetto and neighborhood were shot. Soviet barracks were created and even the hospital was used to provide realism to the visual narrative. The flow of the movie is such that it grows on the minds of viewers- slow but tender. This lends a sense of drag in some parts of the narrative due to less visual tension but at the same time, it makes the narrative sensitive and real.

The Pianist has a difficult story to tell, especially when the story is nearly biographical. The irony at various points in the movie is starkly evident. War has a strange effect on people- it reduces them to gut-wrenching survivors. Szpilman’s journey from a successful pianist to a numb survivor is proof of that. The movie does end on a positive note. It shows the transcendent and unifying nature of music and art. But it never talks about the ‘Aftermath’. What inspired the worst in humankind is another story. But, yes, the aftermath is still scary-the wounds this deep rarely heal. The Pianist remains one of the best works of Polanski while also being the most touching. The movie has some minor flaws but how can the true account of a Holocaust survivor be entirely perfect?

The Pianist is available on Netflix The Pianist Cast: Adrien Brody, Thomas Kretschmann, Frank Finlay, Michal Zebrowski, Emilia Fox

The exceptional critic shall always be a million miles behind the bad artist.

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• The Pianist

R oman Polanski's heartfelt and high-minded Holocaust movie - based on the true-life memoir of Polish pianist Wladyslaw Szpilman - arrives garlanded with the Cannes Palme d'Or and a widespread, respectful sense that here is a very substantial work. Seeing it for the first time at the festival I was restive at a certain plodding historical worthiness. A second viewing, however, discloses more than ever just how stunning is the work done by Polanski's cinematographer Pawel Edelman, and also the excellence of Allan Starksi's production design and Christian Kunstler's painterly digital effects. Maybe Ronald Harwood's dialogue is a bit stately and stagey here and there, but that is an allowable by-product of the film's sheer, sustained seriousness.

Gaunt Adrien Brody plays Szpilman, a famous pianist who at the moment of the 1939 Nazi invasion is broadcasting live on Warsaw radio; the studio is blown to pieces - an inspired image for the impingement of life on art. He and his family (Maureen Lipman and Frank Finlay are the querulous parents) are moved into the notorious ghetto. They refuse to join the Jewish ghetto police - collaborators who affect grotesque Hitler moustaches - but Szpilman's celebrity nevertheless allows him to pull strings; he gets his firebrand brother out of detention, gets a work permit for his father and just as his family are loaded on to the cattle trucks headed for Auschwitz, Szpilman is hauled off and allowed back into the devastated city, to fend for himself and deal with his survivor-guilt as best he may.

The scenes Polanski contrives in occupied Warsaw are truly horrifying: the Nazi officers who tip a wheelchair-bound old man off a balcony, the boorish guards who humiliate Jews by making them dance in the streets, the starving man lapping up spilt soup like a dog. It is unwatchably harrowing. And the images of devastation are positively retina-scorching, like surreal canvases by Ernst or Di Chirico.

But the story of Szpilman is the story of escape. He avoids the death camp, so the film does not enter that epicentre of hell; but he is not in the resistance either, so the film does not go inside the great Warsaw Uprising. He spends a lot of his time holed up in safe flats, and, peeking out of the window, has a ringside seat at much military action, but remains strangely marginalised. Szpilman does not even get to play the piano much, and there is not a great deal of insight into his existence as a pianist or an artist.

However, a resolution to these tensions is offered by the climactic confrontation between Szpilman and a Wehrmacht officer. Entranced by Szpilman's performance of Chopin's Ballade No 1 in G minor on a miraculously undamaged piano in the bombed-out house in which he'd been hiding, Captain Wilm Hosenfeld (Thomas Kretschmann) helps him to survive. This is evidently based on fact, and - who knows? - the scene might make the Chopin Ballade as famous as the Warsaw Concerto from Dangerous Moonlight, another movie about a wartime Polish pianist.

But the neat arrival of a "good German" and the suggestion of a redemptive, humanist equivalence between him and the Jew is tough to take, especially when we've watched such horrific Nazi barbarity. I suppose this is the kind of narrative difficulty that dramatisation entails, and, all in all, Polanski surmounts it very plausibly. The Pianist is a weighty and moving film. A genuine achievement.

Most viewed

The Pianist Review

24 Jan 2003

148 minutes

Pianist, The

The critical consensus on Roman Polanski's intensely personal Holocaust drama is nigh on universal. Palme D'Or winner, best film at all the major European ceremonies including the BAFTAs, a trio of underdog victories at the Oscars for Polanski, Adrien Brody and screenwriter Ronald Harwood... And proud recipient of two (count 'em, two!) stars in the February (2003) issue of Empire.

For all the august award bodies who seized upon The Pianist with giddy glee 'Important Director Tackles Big Subject Alert! ' it is, in fact, relatively easy to overlook the appeal of what is a disarmingly simple story, shot and structured with lucid transparency.

Concert pianist Wladyslaw Szpilman's true-life tale of survival against all odds lacks the broad sweep of, say, Schlindler's List, but benefits enormously from the intimacy and immediacy of an eyewitness account. (Two eyewitnesses in fact, as Polanski himself escaped the Krakow ghetto.)

Where Spielberg set out to capture a large canvas with both economy and Èlan, Polanski's movie is uncluttered by technique and remarkably singular in purpose - supporting characters come and go only as they passed through Szpilman's life.

Naturally, such fidelity to the source material does create its own set of problems. The near-silent third act - Szpilman alone in the ruins of the ghetto - plays like an extended anecdote, a shaggy dog survival story, so to speak.

It is certainly a remarkable yarn, and Brody weighs in with an astonishing physical performance - his gait, his gaze, his very bones aching with hunger - but it is hard to shake the feeling that history is taking place elsewhere. And because this is a survivor's story, The Pianist never quite generates the sheer terror of Schlinder's List, where death could seemingly visit any character, at any time.

There are other niggles if you look for them - pacing is stately to the point of slack in places, and the early scenes of domestic bliss have a very perfunctory feel. But the meat of the story, which covers the creation and destruction of the Warsaw ghetto, is compelling stuff: equal parts absorbing adventure and stomach-churning tragedy.

And it is here, in the margins of Szpilman's story, where Polanski is - and any irony is duly noted - most comfortable, painstakingly recreating the almost incidental daily horrors that he himself lived through. The fact that the director never once caves into easy sentiment or cheap hectoring is almost as amazing as the story itself.

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The pianist, common sense media reviewers.

Powerful true story of Jewish pianist has brutal violence.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

The brutality of the Nazi occupation and subsequen

Wladyslaw endures incredible suffering and degrada

Extended depictions of Jews and their persecution

Graphic violence portraying the onset of the Holoc

"F--k," "s--t," "damn," and "oh my God" (as an exc

Alcohol drinking in restaurants, wine drinking at

Parents need to know that The Pianist is an Oscar-winning movie about a young Jewish musician (Adrien Brody) living in Warsaw during the Nazis' occupation, based on Wladyslaw Szpilman's memoir of the same name. Wladys desperately tries to make sense of the invasion of his country and the degradation they…

Positive Messages

The brutality of the Nazi occupation and subsequent racism, degradation of European Jews, and the Holocaust that followed are shown in graphic detail, a necessary reminder that this must never happen again. In times when humanity as a whole is shown at its worst, there are individuals and groups who stand up to evil and fight it with every means at their disposal. Music, and art as a whole, has the capacity to transcend war and hatred.

Positive Role Models

Wladyslaw endures incredible suffering and degradation as a Jew in Nazi-occupied Warsaw but manages to retain his dignity and sanity to survive. He demonstrates perseverance and courage. The Polish Resistance to Nazi occupation is shown through the actions of the characters who do their best to protect Wladyslaw and hide him from the Nazis and through those who fought back and died in the cause of freedom and liberation.

Diverse Representations

Extended depictions of Jews and their persecution under Nazi occupation. Though many Germans, Poles, and even other Jews were complicit, many resisted; both are shown. Nazis' brutality to people with disabilities is captured when a person in a wheelchair is thrown from a balcony. But Nazi persecution of other groups, such as LGBTQ+ and Romani people, isn't addressed; the POV is limited to Wladyslaw's. This also limits the portrayal of women to Wladyslaw's family members, love interest, and a couple women who help him along the way. They're positive portrayals, but not extensive. It should be noted that director Roman Polanski is a complicated figure. His own survival of WWII as a Polish Jew informed his direction of the film , but he's also pled guilty to statutory rape and is a wanted fugitive in the United States.

Did we miss something on diversity? Suggest an update.

Violence & Scariness

Graphic violence portraying the onset of the Holocaust. Though gore is minimal, blood is visible, and fear and dread pervade every scene. A family watches in horror as Nazis roll a man in a wheelchair onto a balcony and throw him off. A woman is shot in the forehead. Jews are shot in the head while lying down. An injured character lying on a road is run over by a tank. Wartime violence includes battles with machine guns, explosions, and bombed buildings.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

"F--k," "s--t," "damn," and "oh my God" (as an exclamation).

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Alcohol drinking in restaurants, wine drinking at dinner; no one acts drunk.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that The Pianist is an Oscar-winning movie about a young Jewish musician ( Adrien Brody ) living in Warsaw during the Nazis' occupation, based on Wladyslaw Szpilman's memoir of the same name. Wladys desperately tries to make sense of the invasion of his country and the degradation they oversaw, the creation of the Warsaw Ghetto, and the madness that led to the Holocaust. There's graphic violence, but it's intended to reveal the real-life horrors European Jews endured at the Nazis' hands during World War II and to leave audiences with the conviction that atrocities and genocide such as this must never happen again. People are shot in the head for little to no reason, someone in a wheelchair is tossed off a balcony, and a person lying injured in the road is run over by a tank. There's also wartime violence: machine-gun battles, bombed-out cities, explosions, and casualties. Profanity includes "f--k" and "s--t." While the movie was directed by controversial filmmaker Roman Polanski, it's still likely to inspire thought and discussion on the extremes of evil and good in humankind, the individual acts of heroism undertaken by those whose names will never make the history books, and the transcendent and unifying nature of music and art. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

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Community Reviews

• Parents say (11)
• Kids say (20)

Based on 11 parent reviews

May be one of the best movies I've ever seen. Please watch this with your (older) kids.

So good but a bit to mature for younger teens and kids, what's the story.

THE PIANIST is the emotionally devastating true story of Wladyslaw Szpilman ( Adrien Brody ), a Jewish pianist in Poland caught up in the horrors of World War II. The Nazis invade Poland, confine Jews to a ghetto, and eventually ship them off to concentration camps. There is heartbreaking and graphic violence. Yet, director Roman Polanski delivers this difficult message in a very thoughtful, skillful way. Just when the audience is on the verge of becoming numbed by the grim life in the ghetto, the pianist escapes for a day and walks through the bright flower stalls in the crowded market outside the ghetto. It reminds the viewer of how far the pianist has fallen from a "normal" life, but it gives the viewer the same brief respite that it gives the pianist. Just when the Nazi brutality against the Jews seems unbearable, a music-loving German soldier treats the pianist kindly while Jewish victims prey on each other.

Is It Any Good?

The epic journey of a man transformed by a series of events from an elegantly dressed, highly cultured musician to a scavenging, debased shell of a human being is powerfully conveyed. The most effective parts of The Pianist are its small, vivid, almost unbearably poignant human moments. In one such scene, a family awaiting a transport train that will take them to an extermination camp combines all their remaining money to buy a single caramel, which they carefully divide into six tiny portions.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about why movies such as The Pianist , which is based on a true story, are so important. Are there any current events you can think of that are similar to the invasion of Poland and the plight of Jews in World War II?

In so many movies, violence serves no purpose but to provide a burst of excitement, to create action, to keep the audience entertained. How is this movie different? What do you think is the purpose of showing graphic violence here?

While most people are familiar with what transpired during the Holocaust, what specifics did you learn that added to your understanding of World War II, the Warsaw Ghetto, and the brutal and unspeakable genocide? As the true story of a Jewish musician who lived through such a terrible time, how did this movie personalize these events?

While many of his films are highly acclaimed, director Roman Polanski is a wanted criminal . How does an artist's tarnished legacy affect audience's view of their art? Can we separate the impact of the art from that of the artist? To what extent should a director's legacy influence the legacy of their films, considering the many other people involved in making them?

How does Wladyslaw demonstrate perseverance and courage in The Pianist ? Why are these important character strengths ?

Movie Details

• In theaters : December 27, 2002
• On DVD or streaming : May 27, 2003
• Cast : Adrien Brody , Emilia Fox , Thomas Kretschmann
• Director : Roman Polanski
• Inclusion Information : Female actors
• Studio : Focus Features
• Genre : Drama
• Topics : Great Boy Role Models , History
• Character Strengths : Courage , Perseverance
• Run time : 150 minutes
• MPAA rating : R
• MPAA explanation : violence and mature, upsetting themes
• Awards : Academy Award , BAFTA , Golden Globe
• Last updated : January 17, 2024

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The Pianist

2002, History/Drama, 2h 28m

What to know

Critics Consensus

Well-acted and dramatically moving, The Pianist is Polanski's best work in years. Read critic reviews

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The pianist   photos.

In this adaptation of the autobiography "The Pianist: The Extraordinary True Story of One Man's Survival in Warsaw, 1939-1945," Wladyslaw Szpilman (Adrien Brody), a Polish Jewish radio station pianist, sees Warsaw change gradually as World War II begins. Szpilman is forced into the Warsaw Ghetto, but is later separated from his family during Operation Reinhard. From this time until the concentration camp prisoners are released, Szpilman hides in various locations among the ruins of Warsaw.

Rating: R (Violence|Brief Strong Language)

Genre: History, Drama, War

Original Language: English

Director: Roman Polanski

Producer: Robert Benmussa , Roman Polanski , Alain Sarde

Writer: Wladyslaw Szpilman , Ronald Harwood

Release Date (Theaters): Dec 27, 2002  original

Release Date (Streaming): Apr 19, 2016

Box Office (Gross USA): $32.5M

Runtime: 2h 28m

Distributor: Focus Features

Production Co: Miramax

Sound Mix: Surround

Cast & Crew

Adrien Brody

Wladyslaw Szpilman

Thomas Kretschmann

Captain Wilm Hosenfeld

Frank Finlay

Maureen Lipman

Ed Stoppard

Julia Rayner

Jessica Kate Meyer

Roman Polanski

Ronald Harwood

Screenwriter

Robert Benmussa

Alain Sarde

Timothy Burrill

Executive Producer

Henning Molfenter

Gene Gutowski

Co-Producer

Rainer Schaper

Associate Producer

Wojciech Kilar

Original Music

Paweł Edelman

Cinematographer

Hervé de Luze

Film Editing

Celestia Fox

Heta Mantscheff

Allan Starski

Production Design

Anna B. Sheppard

Costume Design

News & Interviews for The Pianist

Damian Chapa Preps Polanski Biopic

How Does "The Departed" Rank Among Oscar’s Best?

Adrien Brody in the Running for "Hulk" Sequel?

Critic Reviews for The Pianist

Audience reviews for the pianist.

One of Polanski's best films to date, The Pianist is an adaptation of the autobiography from Szpilman who survived the Holocaust in Poland. The story is shockingly realistic, which makes it all the more disturbing. It is a beautiful story about the will to survive even under the most desperate times. Brody gave us one of his best performances. It's good but too disturbing for a second viewing.

A fantastic Holocaust film from one of the greatest directors of all time, Roman Polanski, The Pianist is masterfully made and accompanied by an astounding performance from Adrien Brody as a Polish Jew who is confined to the Warsaw ghetto during Nazi occupation of Poland. Well worth watching.

Undoubtedly a great movie, but somehow doesn't feel quite as reverent as other pieces--if you've ever read anything about Polanski's life, The Pianist feels autobiographical, focusing largely on one man's journey instead of the plight of a people. And while there is nothing inherently wrong with this approach, The Pianist doesn't reverberate quite as emotively as other films set during the Holocaust. Still, The Pianist is an excellent film. Adrien Brody is haunting and gives what I consider to be one of the best performances I have ever seen. Similarly, the look Polanski achieves with the natural lighting is incredible. Overall, a great film.

Adrien Brody and Thomas Kretschmann give tremendously haunting performances in Roman Polanski's The Pianist. The film does not seek our tears or sympathies, but instead tells the story of Polish pianist Wladyslaw Szpilman just as it is, and that makes it all the more emotionally involving. It's length and use of minimalist music may prove too boring or non-dramatic for some, but the Chopin interspersed throughout gave it more than an actual score could. In conclusion, The Pianist features a haunting central performance by Adrien Brody, and despite it's length and a familiar shell story, this is told differently and is more emotionally involving than other films of this subject matter.

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Pianist, The (UK/France/Germany/Poland/Netherlands, 2002)

To lump The Pianist in with all of the other Holocaust stories brought to the screen does a great disservice to this powerful, compelling motion picture. Crafted without a whiff of melodrama, this motion picture takes a steady, unflinching look at the plight of Jews in Warsaw during the years when Poland was occupied by the Nazis. For director Roman Polanski, this represents his most effective film in nearly three decades. Not since 1974's Chinatown has Polanski reached such dramatic heights.

How is The Pianist different from an "average" Holocaust drama (if there can be said to be such a thing)? To begin with, there are no concentration camp scenes. Instead of taking us into the depths of Auschwitz, the film leaves us on the streets of Warsaw, where life and death was as uncertain a prospect as it was in the camps. In addition, Polanski does not flinch from showing the naked horrors perpetrated by Nazis on Jews. There is no attempt to sugar-coat this bitter pill – we see frequent gunshots to the head, torture, and the effects of starvation. The tone and style of the film are documentary-like - Polanski observes from a detached perspective, detailing atrocities without manipulating his audience. The result is bleak and powerful, and may overcome more sensitive viewers. And we are not spared the sight of piles of corpses – these were as evident in Warsaw's Jewish ghetto as they were in the death camps.

The Pianist opens in 1939 Warsaw, shortly after Poland's defeat to Germany. The film's protagonist is celebrated Jewish pianist Wladyslaw Szpilman (Adrien Brody), who, along with his family, is forced to watch as the restrictions against Jews become increasingly more odious. Initially, Jews are forbidden from eating in certain establishments, walking in public parks, or sitting on public benches. Soon, they must wear distinguishing armbands, bow to Nazis passed in the streets, and walk in the gutters. Eventually, all Jews in Warsaw – approximately 500,000 –are moved into a ghetto, where whole families are crammed into single small rooms. After the Nazis begin implementing their "Final Solution," most of the Jews in Warsaw are shipped to the concentration camps to be exterminated. Only those capable of labor are allowed to remain behind. Wladyslaw is separated from his family at this point. He remains behind as part of a work force, while his family is herded into a cattle car. Eventually, with the help of the underground, Wladyslaw escapes into hiding, where he battles starvation, disease, and cold until the arrival of the Soviets.

The only actor to have significant screen time is Adrien Brody, whose forceful portrayal of the title character represents one of the year's best male performances. Brody starts the film as a cultured, intelligent Jew, but, by the time the film has entered its final act, he resembles a cave man. His speech has been reduced to grunts, his shaggy hair and gaunt appearance recall images of those dying in the not-so-distant extermination camps, and his goal of survival has devolved into two things: a hunt for food and a flight from predators (the Nazis).

Recognizing that The Pianist is a true story adds another layer to its impact (although it is the case that most Holocaust films are based on factual incidents). However, it is Polanski's mastery that makes this movie unforgettable. While The Pianist has a strong, clear narrative, the director uses music and images to emblazon Wladyslaw's struggle on our memories. No one who has seen this film will forget the staggering sight of the main character limping down the blasted, bombed-out streets of Warsaw, with twisted, half-destroyed buildings lining the streets and no sign of life. The impromptu "concert" he gives for a Nazi officer, Captain Wilm Hosenfeld (Thomas Kretschmann), is an equal standout, as music transforms (if only for a moment) the bestial-looking Wladyslaw into a magician with music. The movie ends on the perfect bittersweet note – life and hope have returned, but no aspect of the future will remain untouched by the past.

With The Pianist , Roman Polanski has not only given us the most recent motion picture to remind future generations of what happened under Hitler's regime, but he has also provided us with hope that his own career, after numerous dead-ends, may finally be back on track.

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The Pianist

By roman polanski, the pianist essay questions.

How does Szpilman escape getting on the trains to the death camp?

Szpilman is walking to the death camp trains with his family, but just before he gets on he is thrown to the ground by the same police officer that set his brother free from an incident previously, Itzak Heller. He attempts to return to his family but the officer throws him to the ground and tells him he's saving his life. Szpilman must walk away and leave his family behind and survive on his own now.

Why does Hosenfeld spare Szpilman's life?

It is unclear exactly what goes through Hosenfeld's mind when he meets Szpilman, and we do not know his ideological history. However, when he hears Szpilman play the piano, he is compelled to save his life, even though he is a Nazi and Szpilman is Jewish. This moment suggests that it is Szpilman's musical ability that spares him.

How does Szpilman keep his spirit alive during the film?

Szpilman endures some horrible experiences throughout the film, and must focus mainly on surviving physically and hiding from the Nazis. However, we also get a glimpse into the ways that he stays motivated in a more psychological sense, when we see him pretending to play the piano at various junctures. While he must remain silent while living in an apartment with a piano, he pretends as if he is playing it and we hear the music he wants to be making in his head. Music is what keeps Szpilman going, even in the darkest of times.

How is the end of the film similar to the beginning?

By the end of the film, Szpilman has returned to Polish society and is once again an acclaimed concert pianist, playing for an audience. He wears a fine tuxedo and is treated with respect by the people who come to see him. This mirrors the first scene in the film, in which Szpilman is playing piano in the studio, and he is established as a famous Polish pianist. In between the beginning and the end, Szpilman endures unimaginable horrors, and only the viewer has been privy to all of the difficulty that separates the opening sequence from the ending.

What is ironic about the moment when Szpilman gets rescued by the Russian and Polish army?

The moment in which Szpilman is discovered in Warsaw by the Allied forces is ironic because he is wearing a Nazi jacket given to him by Hosenfeld. As a result, the soldiers shoot at him, thinking that he is a German, when in fact he is a Polish Jew who has been subjected to the terrorism of the Nazis throughout the film. It would be highly ironic and tragic if he were to die at the hands of the people who have come to Warsaw to help him.

The Pianist Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for The Pianist is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

The pianist

The Jewish people wore armbands with yellow stars on their sleeves.

how did the judenrat react to blade request to have his brother released after they had arrested him?

I see no evidence of a character by this name.

The Pianist, includes the shooting of Polish men lying face down in a row and there being shot in their heads – one by one. Was it seven men? Was it eight (8= the number for an octave on the piano)?

Seven Polish prisoners are shot.

He stands over them and, one by one, shoots them. When he comes to Benek, the seventh man, his pistol runs out of ammunition. He changes the clip, shoots Benek and marches off.

Study Guide for The Pianist

The Pianist study guide contains a biography of director Roman Polanski, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About The Pianist
• The Pianist Summary
• Character List
• Director's Influence

Essays for The Pianist

The Pianist essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of The Pianist, directed by Roman Polanski.

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The Pianist Film Review

Updated 23 September 2022

Subject Movies

Downloads 28

Category Entertainment

Topic The Pianist

The Pianist - A Biographical War Drama

The Pianist is a biographical war drama film directed by Roman Polanski. Its screenplay was written by Ronald Harwood and starred Adrien Brody. It is based on a memoir written by Polish-Jewish pianist Wadysaw Szpilman, a Holocaust survivor.

Adrien Brody

The Piano is a movie about a Holocaust survivor and it stars Adrien Brody. The story starts in a ghetto in Warsaw and focuses on the pianist's efforts to survive. He flees bombed houses and eventually turns into a shadow of his former self. It is an incredibly moving and heartbreaking film, and the performance by Adrien Brody is absolutely amazing.

The True Story of Wladyslaw Szpilman

The Pianist is based on the true story of Wladyslaw Szpilman, a famous Polish-Jewish concert pianist who spent two years hiding during World War II. The Pianist was directed by Roman Polanski and was released in 2002. In 2003, Adrien Brody talked about his preparation for the role and revealed that he had to take his life down to its bare necessities.

Roman Polanski's Vision

Roman Polanski's 2002 biographical war drama The Pianist is based on the Holocaust memoir written by Polish-Jewish pianist Wadysaw Szpilman. It stars Adrien Brody. Polanski directed the film from a screenplay by Ronald Harwood.

A Departure from Cliches

While most piano movies are full of cliches, Polanski steers his film away from them by avoiding the pitfalls that plague the genre. The film is not a great film about the piano, but it is still better than most of them. As a genre, piano movies have a long history. While "Casablanca" and "Shoot the Piano Player" are classics, "The Piano" does avoid some of the most common pitfalls.

Impressive Cinematography and Production Design

The cinematography is quite good in "The Pianist." Director Pawel Edelman does not waste any frame, and often shoots from Wladyslaw's point of view. Similarly, Allan Starski's production design is stunning. The film was also shot in Warsaw, which Polanski meticulously recreated with meticulous detail.

Ronald Harwood's Screenplay

"The Pianist" is a moving film based on a true story. Its director, Roman Polanski, negotiated the memories of war-torn Poland to create a compelling film about the role of music in the Holocaust. But Ronald Harwood's adapted screenplay is a mess, awash in incident, lame exposition, and an overt allusion to Shakespeare. In the final hour, however, the film reaches transcendence.

A Powerful Film with Warning

While "The Pianist" is a moving film about a man who saved a Jewish boy from the Nazis, it is not for all audiences. The film contains strong language and depicts the horrors of the Holocaust. This film is suitable for high school students who are studying World War II or Holocaust literature.

Ronald Harwood's Approach to the Film

"The Pianist" is an Oscar-winning film about a Polish pianist during World War II. It is based on a true story and is set in the Warsaw Ghetto. Unlike Schindler's List, this film is not as overtly violent or gruesome as its title might suggest. However, the film does capture the brutality and sadistic nature of the Nazi regime. Moreover, its characters die in realistic ways.

Szpilman's Journey and Adrien Brody's Performance

"The Pianist" is an adaptation of the memoirs of the Jewish pianist Wladyslaw Szpilman, who was imprisoned in Nazi-occupied Poland. It stars Adrien Brody, who gives a career-making and Oscar-nominated performance. Brody plays a young classical pianist in 1939 Warsaw. While pre-war Warsaw is portrayed in archival footage, the film also shows the devastation that follows the Nazi invasion of Poland. In addition, the Nazis destroy Szpilman's radio studio recital during the invasion.

Spielberg's Approach to The Piano

Spielberg's approach to The Piano reflects his childhood, when he wanted to look inside a piano and see the strings vibrate. His parents were Orthodox Jews, so he struggled to understand their faith while growing up. In his early years, Spielberg often felt self-conscious about his background. The piano was a big, black object, so he wanted to look inside it, but was too afraid to do so.

Spielberg was only 13 when he made the film, and he was a creative kid who loved to use his own homemade special effects. In one scene, he used a shovel to simulate a landmine explosion, and in another, he used handheld tracking shots to imitate a dolly. The film also boasts a booming sound effects mix. Spielberg had an innate sense of spectacle, and he understood the importance of sound.

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Home / Essay Samples / Entertainment / The Pianist / Analysis Of Messages And Concepts In The Film The Pianist

Analysis Of Messages And Concepts In The Film The Pianist

• Category: Entertainment
• Topic: Film Analysis , The Pianist

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Introduction

The factors underlying the pianist film, analysis of the pianist film.

• ÇAĞRI, Erhan (1996). S Suicide in Europe and Basic Problems after the Second World War Bilgiler, Ankara University Journal of the Faculty of Political Sciences, Volume: 51, Issue: 1, pp.259-273.
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• GOSDEN, Chris (2004). Archeology and Colonialism: Cultural Contact from 5000 BC to the Present,
• Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• KELLNER, Douglas (1996). Media Culture, London: Routledge
• LOOMBA, Ania (2000). Colonialism, Postcolonialism
• PARSA, S & PARSA A. F., (2002), Semiotics Analysis, Izmir: Ege University Press.
• TATAR, Taner (2011). -2 Colonialism And Red - Black Massacre oci, Journal of Sociology Conferences (Istanbul Journal of Sociological Studies), Issue 44, pp.195-220
• TURAL, Sadık (2009). The methods of colonialism and Atatürk, Süleyman Kazmaz ( Armağan, (Yay. Hazir Kamil Toygar-Nimet Berkok Toygar), Ankara
• WIDYEY, Joseph P. (1907). Race Life of the Aryan Peoples, New York: Funk & Wagnalls, 2:15.
• WOLLEN, Peter (2008). Indicators and Meaning in Cinema, Istanbul: Metis Publishing.

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