Pianist, The

Aroview: Boldly visualised, fact-based drama concerning the Jewish pianist Wladyslaw Szpilman, who evaded Poland’s Nazi authorities during WW2, living a perilous existence in Warsaw.

Noted for the semi-autobiographical elements which dir. Polanksi brought to the tale, as well as his lucid, objective view of awful events such as the clearing of the Warsaw ghetto. Adrian Brody gives an Oscar-winning performance in the central role, conveying his plight with fine-featured, refined shock, and while the general territory has been thoroughly picked over by other filmmakers, this manages to de-familiarise it somewhat, with absurd, almost surreal details punctuating the action.

Cannes - Palm D’Or 2003

more matches…