Review of The Pianist (2002) by Dawdlingpoet — 20 Nov 2021

First off, this is much more a war film than a musical drama - there are perhaps surprisingly few scenes actually depicting the main characters musical playing but of course the whole story is entirely centered around him and its a chilling depiction of the inhumane treatment of Jews during (among?) the darkest times of the 20th century. I suppose the piano playing, if only depicted on ocassion, presents the viewer with a clear sense of the beauty that still existed by those who were otherwise forced to be labelled as among the lowest class of people in German history at that time. There's undeniably a strong poignancy there. It conveys a depiction of disintegration, on a both personal and societal level.

One of the most memorable moments is depicted right at the start of the film, when said pianist (Wladyslaw Szpilman) is performing in I assume a recording studio and the impact of war based action is impossible to ignore.

This is a chilling/sobering watch. It highlights the hypocricy of the time its set and Adrien Brody gives a particularly powerful performance I'd say. A very thought provoking and sobering film, I'd recommend this.