Haunting and Harrowing Masterpiece...Stunning account of the holocaust

Rating: 9/10 (26 November 2007)

"It's an official decree, no Jews allowed in the parks. "
This is oneof the two stunning holocaust films brought to us by a director of big quality, Roman Polanski
We are presented with the true story of polish pianist Wladyslaw Szpilman. Its a powerful story of determination, hope, freedom and pride.
He loses his family, has his religion disgraced, but he survives This continuous film is a superb study in how the holocaust developed and how much it devastated the Jewish community of Poland in world war 2.
Although people may say that schindlers list is undoubtedly superior, they are very different films. One is a study a jew in the holocaust and the other is a study of a German in the holocaust. Schindlers List is stylistically superior but The Pianist manages to form a vision of how the holocaust developed and increasingly devastated an innocent Jewish family.
It also presents other elements of the holocaust such as the extermination of disabled people in which a group of Nazis is shown raiding a Jewish home, a person in a wheelchair is tipped over a balcony, the rest of the family are then murdered. This is one of the most depressing and dark scenes of cinema i have ever seen, the fact that Szpilman's family is watching the whole thing with horror, makes you be able to empathise with the situation they are in and therefore maximises mental devastation to the watcher.
Although i didn't cry in the film, it is still a harrowing masterpiece and any faint hearted person would be extremely moved by the film.
9/10