Review of The Pianist (2002) by Peter H — 10 Mar 2011

The Pianist focusses on the Jewish struggle for survival in Warsaw during World War II. It follows Wladyslaw Szpilman (Adrien Brody), a male Jewish pianist and his remarkable story of life for a Jew in Nazi occupied Poland. Polanski does a terrific job, drawing from past experiences, of creating a very realistic version of contemporary Warsaw. The Pianist is one of the best films about the Holocaust and it differs from most movies on the same subject as it only follows the life of one Jew rather than many.

Adrien Brody does a terrific job in his portrayal of Wladyslaw. He lost 29 pounds and learned how to play Chopin`s work on the piano, which proves to be very impressive during the credits and during the scene with Captain Hosenfeld. It is impressive that he can play Chopin just because of its difficulty, but to see the way he emmerses the character into the music is just masterful. To say the least, he nailed the Oscar for best actor in a leading role, becoming the youngest person to do so.

Polanski`s directing is at its finest since Chinatown. The revolt sequence is the streets is terrific and Polanski`s ability to capture the dread in the Warsaw Jewish housing area is outstanding. The way music is created into an escape from reality is nothing short of beautiful and the musical choice is very well suited. Just like Brody, Polanski nailed the Oscar for direction and to my amazement did not receive it for Best Picture.

The Pianist is a classic filled with terrific acting, directing, music, and cinematography. It is in my opinion, Roman Polanski`s best work as well as Adrien Brody`s. I recommend this film to anyone that is not disturbed by violence.