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The Pianist
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The Pianist (2002) More at IMDbPro »

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The Pianist (2002) -- A Polish Jewish musician struggles to survive the destruction of the Warsaw ghetto of World War II.
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Overview

User Rating:
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 12% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Roman Polanski
Writers:
Wladyslaw Szpilman (book)
Ronald Harwood (screenplay)
Contact:
View company contact information for The Pianist on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
3 January 2003 (USA) more
Genre:
Biography | Drama | War more
Tagline:
Music was his passion. Survival was his masterpiece.
Plot:
A Polish Jewish musician struggles to survive the destruction of the Warsaw ghetto of World War II. full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
Won 3 Oscars. Another 45 wins & 42 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(158 articles)
Report: Roman Polanski Receiving Medical Treatment
 (From The Insider. 18 October 2009, 11:27 PM, PDT)

Roman Polanski Still Directing From Prison
 (From FilmShaft.com. 16 October 2009, 12:13 AM, PDT)

User Comments:
10 out of 10 more (643 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
Der Pianist (Germany)
Le pianiste (France)
Pianista (Poland)
El pianista (Argentina) (Peru) (Spain) [es]
O Pianista (Brazil) (Portugal) [pt]
Pianisten (Finland: Swedish title) (Sweden) [sv]
Пианист (Russia) [ru]
A zongorista (Hungary) [hu]
Der Pianist (Austria) [de]
El pianista (Spain: Catalan title) [ca]
Il pianista (Italy) [it]
Le pianiste (Canada: French title) [fr]
O pianistas (Greece) [el]
Pianista (Czech Republic) [cs]
Pianista (Slovakia) [sk]
Pianisten (Norway) [no]
Pianisten (Denmark) [da]
Pianisti (Finland) [fi]
Pijanista (Serbia) [sr]
Piyanist (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
more
MPAA:
Rated R for violence and brief strong language.
Runtime:
150 min | Spain:142 min (DVD edition)
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
DTS | Dolby Digital

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Daniel Szpilman, the real grandson of the main character Wladyslaw Szpilman, plays the part of the boy in the ghetto (on the market place and later again on the Umschlagplatz). more
Goofs:
Anachronisms: Early during the movie, when the family is listening to a BBC radio broadcast in the autumn of 1939, there's a brief overlap during which we hear a few German words being spoken. These are from a recording of the infamous Sports Palace speech by Joseph Goebbels, delivered in Berlin on 18th February 1943 - well over three years after the movie's scene takes place. more
Quotes:
Wladyslaw Szpilman: It's a funny time to say this, but...
[trailing off]
Halina: What?
Wladyslaw Szpilman: I wish I knew you better.
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Film Geek (2005) more
Soundtrack:
Marsz Strzelcow more

FAQ

How did Henryk and Halina get back to the Umschlagplatz after being selected for work detail?
A Note Regarding Spoilers
Did Adrien Brody really deserve an Academy Award for his role as Wladyslaw Szpilman?
more
188 out of 238 people found the following comment useful.
10 out of 10, 20 January 2003
10/10
Author: Alexandra Jones from Luxembourg

The Pianist is an account of the true life experience of a Polish pianist during WW2, in the context of the deportation of the Jewish community to the Ghetto of Warsaw, a setting virtually absent from all films inspired on WW2.

Polanski (himself a child survivor of the Krakow and Warsaw ghettos) could have described in more detail the legendary, desperate fighting of the Jewish resistance in the ghetto of Warsaw, or the horrific mass extermination in concentration camps. Instead, the film gains in intensity by displaying the war from the pianist's own point of view (through windows, half-opened doors, holes in the walls - with big emphasis on the use of "point of view shooting" by the cameraman). One cannot help feeling disturbed by the most enthralling scenes of the film, as the isolated pianist tries to ensure his survival in the ghetto and ruins of Warsaw, hiding and fleeing, moving from one bombed house to the next, gradually becoming a shadow of his former self, hungry and afraid (merit largely attributed to the extraordinary performance by Adrien Brody, who visibly loses half of his weight throughout the film).

Does the pianist raise any sympathy from the audience? Not immediately, in my view. The pianist is more than often a drifting character, almost a witness of other people's and his own horrors. He seems to float and drift along the film like a lost feather, with people quickly appearing and disappearing from his life, some helping generously, others taking advantage of his quiet despair, always maintaining an almost blank, dispassionate demeanour. One may even wonder why we should care in the least about this character. But we do care. That is, I believe, the secret to this film's poetry.

In one of the strongest scenes, towards the end, a German officer forces the pianist to play for his life, in an episode that suddenly brings a much lighter, beautifully poetic shade to the film (this German officer will be probably compared to Schindler, although his philanthropy does not quite share the same basis).

This is also a wonderful tribute to Polish artists, through Chopin's music, with the concert at the very end of the film and the opening performance by the pianist at the local radio station (with the sound of bomb explosions in the background) forming an harmonious link between the beginning and end of the film (following Polanski's usual story-frame).

Overall, The Pianist is one of the most detailed and shocking accounts of the treatment of the Jews by the Nazis, with the atmosphere in Warsaw well captured and believable. Quite possibly, The Pianist will remain in the history of film-making as the most touching and realistic portraits of the holocaust ever made.

Polanski's film deserves a strong presence in the 2003 Oscar nominations, including a nomination for Adrien Brody's amazing performance, Polanski's sublime direction, best adapted screenplay and, obviously, best picture. This could be, at last, Polanski's long awaited, triumphal comeback to the high and mighty Hollywood.

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How could this movie not win the Academy Award for Best Motion Picture glenmoreland
Most Moving Scene... mr_maxter
Didn't even make empire's '500' greatest films poll ullrichisinnocent
the lead Nazi in this film AhhhhhhhhLanda
quick question tooter180
movies that are very good but you don't want to see again schumithecat
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