In itself, a composition rivalling the masters

Rating: 9/10 (6 May 2003)

A small warning. This is a very dark film, but at its heart it is a story of survival and hope.
Adrien Brody is astonishing in his low key portrayal of Wladyslaw Szpilman, a brilliant Jewish pianist who is dragged into the Warsaw ghetto and beyond by the Nazis. Brody, who carries the film alone for a good part of the time, shows that just when you believe that someone's humanity could not survive, you can be proven wrong by one man's strength of character.
There is a scene close to the end of the film that is beyond beauty, that shows Szpilman's spirit's survival in the face of sheer horror. It is this scene, when Szpilman finally is able to play piano again in the most ironic of situations, that I believe won Polanski and Brody their Oscars respectively.
Quite honestly a film you will not forget.