films d'hier: The Pianist
By: Kevin (@prufesuroak)
films d'hier is a new column we’re introducing to pretty much be a place where my love letters to films can live. These are more opinion and personal taste pieces for the most part. But a massive chunk of my favorites are the undeniable classics if you’ve seen them. Relive them, and if you haven’t and don’t mind spoilers, read on.
The Pianist (2002) is Roman Polanski’s masterpiece, the movie he’d want on his tombstone, the film he would be buried with. The Pianist is based on the book which bears the same title, chronicling the true account of Polish musician Władysław Szpilman, during the Holocaust.
Polanski has a strong connection to The Pianist, drawing many parallels to his own life as a kid escaping the invasion of Poland. During the invasion of Poland, Polanski and his mother lived in shelters, enduring starvation. Separated from his father who was in Krakow, Polanski later found his father in Warsaw. Though his mother and father were taken away by the Nazis. This experience left a huge scar in Polanski, which shaped and influenced films like The Pianist. His first hand experience of life at the hands of nazis, the ghettos, and the brutality and hardships of the occupation, instills the authenticity evoked by the emotions of the film.
The film is a triumph in every aspect. The writing, directing, score, cinematography, and acting are all excellent. One of the hardest aspects of acting, particularly in this film, is conveying a story alone. A substantial amount of The Pianist utilizes silence, and Adrien Brody does a great job in channeling emotion in the absence of sound.
The Pianist is quite a hard film to watch. Not because of its graphic content or gore, but because of Wladyslaw’s heart breaking transformation. As time progresses, we see Wladyslaw lose weight, and slump into slowly deteriorating living conditions.
The Pianist is a story about survival by any means. Władysław goes through years of running and hiding, often in solitude. He hides and waits alone, grateful to those who help him. It’s hard to see any emotion other than sadness in his face. Even when showing gratitude, his demeanor implies little more than desperation. Polanski chose to show a slower paced life for Wladyslaw, perhaps because he himself knows what it’s like to be a survivor. Wladyslaw wasn’t going above and beyond. He was just scraping by with what he could get, and living with it. That’s one of the things that makes The Pianist so great, it’s a much more humble story. One of tremendous sincerity.