The Pianist (2002)
The haunting silence of the Holocaust.
Presentation:
A good Holocaust film from Roman Polanski of a Jewish pianist struggling to survive the Nazi internment camps. For those that want an alternative to Schindler’s List, this film is more solemn and beautifully shot focusing on one Jewish man instead of a group, which makes the experience feel more personal. Despite this, I found Adrien Brody not particularly tragic and the film overall didn’t feel as powerful as Liam Neeson’s performance. It’s surprisingly less emotional considering it focus on one guy, you could say it’s because of his performance or the direction. I also felt as though the oppressive ruin in this film wasn’t executed as well. We also have one of my favorite piano pieces performed, although it is shortened, which is truly a shame considering it is the emotionally iconic Ballade from Chopin. It just felt weird as a composer to see such a commercial decision made to cater toward audiences in a Holocaust film.
Conclusion:
A great film, but considering there exists a Holocaust masterpiece like Schindler’s List, this film should lean into its protagonist to differentiate itself. Unfortunately I felt as though Adrien Brody could have been replaced by any actor as his role didn’t require much acting, he is simply a bystander to all the anguish and destruction. Perhaps Spielberg’s film was too great so this one doesn’t hit as hard. It is Polanski’s style, he is similarly Polish after all. The restraint and subtlety doesn’t distinguish itself enough from other Holocaust films, an unfair criticism, which Polanski surely didn’t care about when making his vision come to life.
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