Poetic, Poignant, Beautiful

Rating: 10/10 (4 December 2015)

This film moved me. I have been a sucker for films based around Nazi Germany and World War II, but this was the only film that truly devastated me to the brink of tears. Perhaps I was in the right mood for it. This is the kind of movie you watch curled up in a heavy winter night with a warm cup of coffee and absolute silence. It is a treat for the soul.
The most admirable aspect of the film is The Pianist's will to live on. His courage and refusal to give up reminds us of the common courage in everyday people. In the film, the Pianist himself is not the victim of most brutalities, he is more of a witness to what goes on around him. More than a fighter, he is a survivor. He never truly wishes to die, he wants to live on. I will never forget the scene in which he he sits in an empty hospital, playing the piano in the air, trying to drown out the horrors of the shooting around him. Striped Pajamas, Schindler's list, Book Thief... none of them come close to the utter majesty of this film's cinematography. 10/10 for this movie. Such brilliant characterization, such amazing motion. What a film! This is the stuff legends are made of.