Holocaust redux: Sepia and stereotypes

Rating: Null/10 (25 January 2003)

Roman Polanski's "The Pianist" is like virtually every Holocaust film you've ever seen. It's all there: the litany of Nazi cruelty, the change in the Jews from helpless victims to freedom fighters, the triumph of the human spirit. But you never feel the characters -- Germans or Jews -- are flesh-and-blood human beings. You never understand why and how the Germans could commit such atrocities, day after day, without any moral scruples.
Granted, the nasty Nazis are "redeemed" by one "good German". Yes, the film is based on a true story and this person really existed. But in Polanski's retelling he is a stereotype nonetheless. He keeps a photo of his family on his desk. He addresses Szpilman using the polite "Sie", where the Germans usually refer to Jews using the familiar "Du". And curiously, he is the only person in the entire film who makes any mention of God.
Equally unremitting and relentless is Polanski's color scheme. The set design, costumes and lighting constantly irked, irritated and annoyed me. More often than not, they conspired together to create the soft sepia tone of an old worn photograph. For pity's sake, we know we are watching a film about the past. We do not need to be constantly reminded.
My other peeve about "The Pianist" is that everyone in the film speaks English, except the Nazis, who speak German (with English subtitles). How about a little consistency, Mr. Polanski? Either have everyone use English (we know who the Nazis are, because they wear uniforms), or else have them use their respective languages (German, Polish, Yiddish, or whatever).
Not every Holocaust film is like "The Pianist", nor does it need to be. My own personal favorites are "Korczak", about the Jewish doctor who became the protector of the children of the Warsaw ghetto, and "The Harmonists", about a Jewish musical comedy team of the same period. They too illustrate the triumph of the human spirit. But, whereas Polanski's Holocaust is ho-hum and humorless, they show, even under the most trying of circumstances, human beings are still capable of love, joy and delight.