It's a Warsaw Ghetto World War II survivor biopic of Wladyslaw Szpilman set from 1939 to 1945. The film begins with 28-year-old Wladyslaw Szpilman (Adrien Brody) playing live on Warsaw radio in September 1939 when the German invasion begins. He is already well-known in Polish cultural circles. We meet Szpilman's family; he appears to be the oldest child. Wladyslaw is somewhat aloof; his brother Henryk (Ed Stoppard) is much more politically aggressive. His parents, Samuel (Frank Finlay) and Edwarda (Maureen Lipman), are upper class and hardly know how to respond.
"The Pianist" follows Szpilman's pivotal experiences over the next six years. The family first lives in the "Little" part of the Warsaw Ghetto. Szpilman is separated from his family and becomes a slave laborer before escaping the ghetto and living with the help of non-Jewish friends in increasingly difficult circumstances. In the last months of 1944, he is even saved by a German officer (Thomas Kretschmann) who learns Szpilman is a skilled pianist.
What is remarkable about "The Pianist" is that it does not portray Wladyslaw Szpilman as a hero. He is primarily passive and survives on the generosity of others. He sees many heinous atrocities and sometimes tries to help others, but mainly reacts when danger is imminent. "The Pianist" exudes authenticity because of this approach.
Although I wish Polanski had faced a criminal trial in the United States, he is a brilliant director. The pacing and visuals are excellent. Adrien Brody is superb.
"The Pianist" follows Szpilman's pivotal experiences over the next six years. The family first lives in the "Little" part of the Warsaw Ghetto. Szpilman is separated from his family and becomes a slave laborer before escaping the ghetto and living with the help of non-Jewish friends in increasingly difficult circumstances. In the last months of 1944, he is even saved by a German officer (Thomas Kretschmann) who learns Szpilman is a skilled pianist.
What is remarkable about "The Pianist" is that it does not portray Wladyslaw Szpilman as a hero. He is primarily passive and survives on the generosity of others. He sees many heinous atrocities and sometimes tries to help others, but mainly reacts when danger is imminent. "The Pianist" exudes authenticity because of this approach.
Although I wish Polanski had faced a criminal trial in the United States, he is a brilliant director. The pacing and visuals are excellent. Adrien Brody is superb.