The Hollow-caust

Rating: 6/10 (3 August 2010)

As a lifelong fan of movies and of Roman Polanski, I approached this movie with high expectations. I have seen a number of Holocaust movies, of varying quality: the great Schindler's List, the very good Triumph of the Spirit, and the absolutely despicable Life is Beautiful to name a few. I would have to place The Pianist in the middle somewhere.
This beautifully shot and produced film unfortunately has no plot or story. The main character is a bland person in every way, with the exception of his musical abilities. And it is clearly due to these musical abilities that others are constantly helping him in the movie. Certainly not due to his personality or character, of which he has none. Adrien Brody stumbles through this picture like some carrot-beaked scarecrow, evoking no compassion from the audience for his fate, a fate that is considerably more fortunate than millions of other Jews in the period.
Polanski created a wonderfully visual and accurate portrait of the time and place, but Brody created a mere shadow of a human being as its central character.