A masterpiece

Rating: Null/10 (26 March 2004)

If you think you're going to watch yet another holocaust film you are in for a great surprise. Talk about a great movie. This is without argument the best Polanski's work. What makes this film so exceptional is the masterful way Polanski takes you through a gradation of emotions without you even noticing it. You start caring about the characters from scene one and you don't stop caring till the end, and your buy-in gets more and more intense.
To me, this is the best holocaust movie ever made (sorry Mr Spielberg). It's a very human view of the horribly inhumane time, told without pretentiousness or unnecessary preaching that most other holocaust movies incorporate. It's more compelling because it tells the story of one man's suffering and survival, and it relates to the viewer on a personal level. Thus the fact that this man is Jewish becomes secondary to the fact that this man is a human being.
Adrien Brody did a brilliant job portraying Vladislav Szpielman. A performance on a par with De Niro's portrayal of Jake La Motta in "The Raging Bull", similar both in its intensity and in the way Brody approached the role. An Oscar fully deserved.
A great credit to a truly great director. Don't miss it.