A touching film about one man's extraordinary experiences

Rating: 9/10 (16 August 2009)

The Pianist is a dramatic Holocaust film about Wladyslaw Szpilman's experiences during World War II. A brilliant Jewish pianist played by Adrien Brody, he quickly gains the audience's sympathy after being a victim of the horrific, methodic actions of the Third Reich. It appears that the film never strays far from the truth, which in turn makes the it all the more emotional.
There are some very chilling moments, but I think the most powerful parts of the film are where kindness is shown by people who you don't expect it from. Szpilman's life is saved several times by strangers that provide shelter and food, and even by a couple individuals employed by the Nazis. I felt that those things give the film an optimistic tone.
Brody's acting is great and he deserved his Oscar. Since the entire film revolves around his performance, this was an important aspect for its success. Other performances are effective as well. The directing by Roman Polansky is solid and shows no considerable error.
I would not find The Pianist to be an overly disturbing film at all, despite the fact that several characters close to Szpilman are killed. The full scale of the Holocaust is hidden from the scope of the film, which is due to Szpilman's luck at escaping. A wide range of emotions are displayed throughout the film, but what you are left with is an admiration of Szpilman's life.