Music was his passion. Survival was his masterpiece.|Sep. 17, 2002|UK|150 Min.|R
Genre: Drama;War
Description: The Pianist is a 2002 film set during the Nazi invasion of Poland in September 1939. The story follows Władysław Szpilman, a talented Polish-Jewish pianist, whose life takes a dramatic turn when Warsaw is bombed during his live radio performance. Initially hopeful for a quick victory after Britain and France declare war on Germany, Szpilman and his family soon face the harsh reality of occupation as both German and Soviet forces invade Poland. Warsaw falls under Nazi control, and Jews, including Szpilman, are subjected to oppressive measures such as being barred from working or owning businesses and forced to wear the Star of David.
By November 1940, Szpilman and his family are among thousands forced into the Warsaw Ghetto, where conditions deteriorate rapidly. Starvation, brutality by SS guards, and the abandonment of children become commonplace. Tragedy strikes when Szpilman witnesses the SS murder an entire family, including throwing a disabled man out of a window.
In August 1942, Szpilman and his family are selected for deportation to the Treblinka extermination camp as part of Operation Reinhard. However, a friend in the Jewish Ghetto Police recognizes him and separates him from his family, sparing him from deportation. Szpilman becomes a slave laborer and learns of an impending Jewish uprising. He aids the resistance by smuggling weapons into the ghetto, narrowly avoiding detection by guards. Eventually, with the help of a non-Jewish couple, Andrzej and Janina Bogucki, Szpilman escapes and goes into hiding.
In April 1943, Szpilman witnesses the failed Warsaw Ghetto Uprising from his hiding place. After being discovered by a neighbor, he is forced to relocate to another hiding spot. There, he suffers from jaundice and is drawn to a piano in the room but must remain silent to avoid detection. The film portrays Szpilman’s resilience and survival in the face of overwhelming adversity.
Cast director: Roman Polanski
Cast actor: Adrien Brody, Thomas Kretschmann, Frank Finlay, Maureen Lipman, Emilia Fox, Ed Stoppard, Julia Rayner, Jessica Kate Meyer, Michal Zebrowski, Wanja Mues
Original name: The Pianist