The Pianist

I know this movie has been around since forever, but I've never had an opportunity to watch it before. Thank goodness for Foxtel movie channels!

This is a fairly slow moving story that centres on a Polish radio pianist, Wladyslaw Szpilman, during the second World War. There are some shocking scenes, of the Jews being randomly shot, burned in the streets, dragged through mud, and beaten by German soldiers, which some viewers will find difficult to stomach. To me it is the dehumanisation of the Jews that was deplorable. They were not allowed to flinch, cry, or reach out to a friend that was killed, or they would be killed too. They had to stifle their emotions and just shuffle on to their next location.

There were so many chilling scenes in this film, whole streets in ruins, a town square filled with abandoned luggage, and the many scenes with Adrien Briody (who plays Szpilman) looking for food, or trying to find warmth.

This is a true story, and it is knowing that Szpilman actually survives these atrocities that keeps the viewer going. Wherever he is hiding, he has to be quiet, and he is cold and starving, sometimes having to survive on grain he finds in abandoned tubs.

This film is confronting. It makes no secret of the fact that the Nazis were a cruel and vicious people and that the Jews were deemed vermin. It is such a sad part of our world's history, and not something we can ignore.

My rating:
*****