wrenching

Rating: 6/10 (3 August 2012)

The Pianist is not a very spectacular movie. It is on a harrowing subject - the Holocaust - but lacks the depth, that makes you want to watch it further. The characters are not very developed. They just flash by one after another. On the other hand, this movie is based on a life of a real person.
What the film does make clear, is the miracle of how The Pianist survived against all odds. That is the one positive aspect of this movie. Other than that it is unlikely to be much of an experience, it probably scares faint-hearted people and likely isn't meant to be watched under 21. The movie depicts cruelty and hunger, but that's pretty much it. What it doesn't reflect, is how unnatural all of it is. It all seems too usual.
In a sense the film is realistic: shows death just picking people one after another.