Excellent!

Rating: Null/10 (25 February 2003)

At first one's impression of this film when reading about it's content, which is about a Jewish pianists real life accounts of the holocaust, is you've seen a lot about this so why see another. Yet this film is really compelling and by having it focus meticulously on one individuals struggles, makes it even more gripping. Sure one may have read all about the atrocities in their history books, but actually seeing a mass group of Jews herded into a windowless train car and then locked in is really shattering.

Director Polanski spreads this and other disturbing scenes throughout the film at unannounced intervals. This is much more effective than just bunching them up into one section. It truly gives you a very real taste of the daily tension and fear that the people must of felt.
Some critics have already christened this as Polanski's best film. Before seeing it you would have to wonder if these people had really seen all of Polanski's pictures. After all this man has done alot of great movies. Yet after seeing it I would probably have to agree. The lighting, pacing, editing, acting, music, camerawork, and set design come together in a flawless chemistry. Not just a a particular point, but throughout. It also has a couple of really amazing shots. One is a long shot showing row upon row of bombed out buildings. It is really breathtaking especially when you fathom in how they were actually able to do it.
This is a very solid film that is well worth you time both as a educational and informative work. There are parts of this that should stay with you long after it is over. It definitely merits the best picture Oscar.