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THE PIANIST (2002) (****)

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Lots of films have been made about the Holocaust, however none has transported me into the experience more than this film. Director Roman Polanski (CHINATOWN, ROSEMARY'S BABY) has assembled scenes of the tragedy similar to the horrors that we have seen before, but he presents them from the eyes of a man just trying to survive.

The story follows the true-life story of famed Polish pianist Wladyslaw Szpilman (Adrien Brody, SUMMER OF SAM). In college, I read the book, NIGHT, by renowned Holocaust survivor and scholar Elie Wiesel, which depicted how the Nazi's inhumane treatment of the Jews made some of the Jews inhumane themselves. To me that is the saddest thing about the atrocities. To beat a human down so much that they almost cease to be a human. This film shows some of that, which brings a unique emotional power to the film that other Holocaust films have not. Szpilman isn't presented as a hero, but a survivor and a witness. He did what he had to do to live, but was able to retain his identity throughout.

Brody's performance is magnificent. Every moment seems real. His nuanced portrayal really creates the sense of desperation, which the character must have felt throughout the ordeal. Other stand out work comes from Thomas Kretschmann (U-571) as Nazi captain Wilm Hosenfeld, who despite being a Nazi officer shows a great deal of compassion for Szpilman.

Polanski uses the camera subjectively, which allows the viewer to almost experience the film as if we are Szpilman. The film really sells the idea that death is right around the corner and that luck or divine reasoning plays as much in one's survival as you do yourself. The filmmakers' great use of cinematography is emboldened by their use of sound as well. A powerful moment is created when Szpilman barely survives a bomb blast that actually muffles the soundtrack as if he were hearing things as Szpilman. Polanski's mastery of the medium shows through in this film as he uses all the cinematic tools perfectly to transport the audience into his tale and make us feel an unimaginable experience.

Polanski, who survived on the run during World War II, makes this film intimate, and we can feel his personal connection to the material. It's easily his best film since his best film, CHINATOWN. Though it really didn't hit theaters across the country until 2003, it was nominated for an Oscar as a 2002 film, therefore I'm considering it one of the top ten of 2002.

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Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks