The Pianist
Overview
The Pianist is a 2002 biographical war drama film directed by Roman Polanski, based on the memoir of the same name by Władysław Szpilman. The film stars Adrien Brody as Szpilman, a Polish Jewish pianist who survives the Holocaust. The film is set in Warsaw, Poland, from 1939 to 1945. Szpilman is a talented, celebrated pianist who works for Polish radio. He lives with his parents, brother, and two sisters. The film follows Szpilman as the Nazis invade Poland, as the Jews are forced into the Warsaw Ghetto, and as his family is deported to Treblinka. Szpilman is saved by a friend who recognizes him, and he is forced to work as a slave laborer. He escapes, and he goes into hiding. He is helped by a series of non-Jewish friends, who provide him with food and shelter. He lives in abandoned buildings, he is shot at by the Nazis, and he nearly starves to death. The film ends with Szpilman being discovered by a German officer, Wilm Hosenfeld (Thomas Kretschmann). Hosenfeld is a kind, decent man who is disgusted by the war. He asks Szpilman to play the piano for him, and he is moved by the music. He brings Szpilman food and supplies, and he protects him. Szpilman survives the war, and he returns to Polish radio. Hosenfeld dies in a Soviet prison camp. Adrien Brody won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance, the youngest actor to win the award. The film also won Oscars for Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay. The Pianist is a devastating, powerful, and unforgettable film about the horrors of the Holocaust and the power of art to sustain life.
