A powerful depiction of the unconquerable human spirit.

Rating: 9/10 (26 February 2003)

"The Pianist" is the first film I've seen that comes close to depicting the utter destruction of war. The scenes of the aftermath of the bombings struck me particularly hard. When you see those scenes, remember that the same destruction occurred accross most of central and eastern Europe, by Allied bombs as well as Axis. Few cities were left unscathed, yet they all rebuilt themselves, brick by brick, a testament to the power of the human spirit.
The first half of the film was so full of horrible acts of cruelty, that I began to wonder if I really needed to see all this. Polanksi more than succeeded in making a statement about the horrors of war and genocide. It's not a film for the feint of heart. The second half of the film, though showing the terrible ravages and suffering of the survivors of war, also revealed the hope and determination, the resiliency of human beings and their desire to survive.
The acting and directing was superb. Every action was meaningful and powerful, the cinematography breathtaking. Adrien Brody was impressive. The music and piano-playing scenes were so beautiful that I could forgive the fact that it was unlikely that a perfectly tuned piano would be found in a bombed-out building in sub-zero weather.

My only other criticism would be that I feel Polanski was a bit too obvious with the good vs. evil characterizations. For example, the evil Germans were all scowling and ugly, except for the lone friendly officer, who was handsome. The same stereotypes apply to the protagonists: heroic underground rebel Jews were either handsome or jovial, and the gentiles who helped them were beautiful and fair-haired and looked like angels. Maybe it was symbolism, but it seemed a little too simplistic to me.
However, that's a small complaint, because overall the whole film was incredible, both technically and emotionally. It's great to see a war film that is not from a military point of view. Oscar, Oscar, Oscar!