A sad yet beautiful accounting of the life of a Jewish Pianist

Rating: 9/10 (4 May 2014)

The Pianist directed by Roman Polanski is based on the memoirs of Wladyslaw Szpilman, played by Adrien Brody. The film takes into account the adversity that he and other Jews faced during the time that Nazis occupied the city of Warsaw, Poland.
In the beginning of the film we see Szpilman, an accomplished pianist in the studio recording his piano playing. As he plays there is a panic beginning to ensue as explosions are occurring throughout the city. During one of the explosions Szpilman suffers a minor injury to his head. When Szpilman arrives home he finds his family packing as if to flee Warsaw, and in the end like many other Jewish families they choose to remain in their homes.
Polanski incorporates a series of montages to show provide information that is prevalent to the circumstances. An example is when Szpilman's father, played by Frank Inlay is sitting at the table counting money as they discuss what to do with the extra they have been forbidden to have. A heated discussion ensues between Henryk, Szpilman's brother played by Ed Stoppard, his sister Regina, played by Julia Rayner and his other sister Halina, played by Jessica Kate Meyer. He then takes us into a walk that Szpilman takes with Dorita, played by Emilia Fox where they want to go to a local business establishment and they find themselves unable to enter as they do not serve Jews. By incorporating a montage like this the audience can see the transgression of the liberties that Jews were stripped of without having to relive the whole amount of time, and the audience is able to envision the strength that it took for the Jews to survive such treatment.
Szpilman and his family, like all Jews that chose to remain in Warsaw were moved to the Warsaw Ghetto, where they were to live and work. Polanski ensures we understand the struggles that the families went thru, the deaths they witnessed, and how in many cases they would chose to leave a blind eye to another being mistreated just to ensure that they survived. Szpilman during this time in the Ghetto attempted to save a young boy who had snuck under the wall and on his return was caught and being beaten as he attempted to crawl back through. As families were brutally murdered in the streets Szpliman's family sees others close their curtains and turn off their lights as if not seeing it means it did not happen. It is an example of surviving the onslaught of abuse to other humans as a means of keeping their own sanity.
As time continues on the families are yet again moved and even appear to be separated from each other. Those selected would be sent to a large courtyard where they sat for hours if not days prior to being put in to cargo cars and sent to Concentration Camps. Szpilman's family was one of the many Jewish families in this courtyard, in which a mother is beside herself for killing her baby, a young Jewish boy is selling caramels for a high price of which he will not be able to keep or use the money. They can only imagine what awaits them as they sit there together and the scene where they are loaded into the cargo cars is beyond disgusting.
Szpilman survives being placed in the cars and finds himself working at tearing down the walls that had been built around the Jewish Ghetto, now that they were almost all gone (other than those working). He continues on and ultimately finds a way to get in contact with someone he knows on the other side and is kept in hiding for quite some time. While it was not death, it was not a great situation for him as he was not allowed to go out and often times starved and taken advantage of. As his time of isolation continues he turns to his music, which seems to be a means of keeping his sanity.
When all those that had attempted to help him were no longer alive or able to continue assisting him, Szpilman finds himself doing all he could to survive on his own. In the end it is his return to the Jewish Ghetto that brings him face to face with a German soldier, Captain William Holsenfeld, played by Thomas Kretschmann. The fear in Szpilman's eyes as he is confronted for being somewhere he shouldn't, then the gratitude when Captain Holsenfeld not only spares his life, he also brings him food and provides him a jacket for extra warmth.
Overall this film was met with tears of sadness as I watched the abuse and persecution of those that practice the Jewish faith. It is disheartening to know that in the history of the world we continue to treat those that have different beliefs or values with such disregard. A couple days after watching this film I watched The Book Thief with my mother and husband, and while it was more about the German families and the impact the war had on them it was just as disheartening as it clearly showed that many of them did not believe in the mistreatment though many still averted their eyes.
I would definitely watch this movie again, and if you have not I would strongly suggest it. It is not for the faint at heart, though I think it is important that we realize that no person should have to struggle so against adversity to survive.