“Not just a history of a man, a history of a people” “The Pianist” is centered around the journey of Adrien Brody’s character, the real life composer Wladyslaw Szpilman. At first living comfortably with his family in an apartment and playing music for Polish radio, his life is shattered by the outbreak of war in 1939 and the consequences that followed. I should note that I personally think the front cover saying, “A riveting adventure story!” is a bit misleading. This film looks at the Holocaust, the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising and the Warsaw City Uprising – how “riveting” is that going to get? And yes, Adrien Brody’s character does go with the flow of history, but I think it’s ridiculous to accuse him of cowardice as other reviewers have. How many of us would have immediately thought “Let’s fight back!” when put in the Holocaust? There’s a scene in the movie where a girl asks a Nazi officer where they’re taking them, and the officer shoots her in the head as soon as he’d tie his shoe. In this sort of environment, how would we react?

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The Pianist by Adrien Brody, Frank Finlay, Thomas Kretschmann, Maureen Lipman
The Pianist by Adrien Brody, Frank Finlay, Thomas Kretschmann, Maureen Lipman

Great War story turned cinema depiction. A welcomed addition to my History films. I also recommend: Schedulers’ List and Enemy at the Gate. The movie is a 8 of 10.

Los Angeles, Ca.

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This is WonderfUl..
A beautiful documentAtion of the human spirit amongst the degenErative conditions of the Versailles treaty which creates and created poverty and fascism in WWII (AdrIan Brody, a forced assault KIsser, does well herE..My Mama makes me prouud having survived all this..May MamA grow strong from Physical theraPY..) NAzi GermaNy. A Nazi Officer saves a Jewish Polack from the Nazi’s by hiding him out in A Nazi headquarter bUilding. It sHows the beauty and the courage of both the GerMan and JewisH oneS….more info

Should be required viewing in school
I knew what to expect from this movie since my favorite past time is reading about anything to do with WWII. With that in mind, I found my self completely taken in by this movie. It shows the worst of humanity and the best all in one movie. From survival at any cost to the reaching out of an enemy to help the hunted survive, it truly provokes thoughts and desires to be a better person. Once again, I came away with the notion that my problems are minuscule compared to what some people had to endure in their lives. This movie should be required for all high school history classes….more info

A very moving experience
Even more so being the true story of the wartime life of Wladyslaw Szpilman, taken from his book. The acting of Adrien Brody was impeccable as was, in fact, that of all the cast including all the old favourites like Maureen Lipman and Frank Finlay. This is a film to be kept and viewed again and again, not least to remember the atrocities committed by the Nazis against the Jews in that epoch. The cruel way in which some of the Nazi officers amused themselves by forcing old and crippled Jews to dance for them was very saddening. It is rather sad that the sympathetic German officer who was kind to Wladyslaw Szpilman in the final days of the war was not recognised and his term of imprisonment reduced….more info