The Pianist - **** out of ****

"The Pianist" begins and ends with Frederick Chopin's 'Nocturne in C# Minor.' It is interrupted by many bombs, and as Wladyslaw Szpilman (Adrien Brody) runs to be with his family during the beginning of the Nazi invasion of Poland, the piece seems to be the perfect choice. Chopin was of polish ancestry, an expert pianist of the romantic era, and towards the end of his life couldn't afford many practical expenses, including his physician. The 'Nocturne' was published after Chopin's death, and the irony of Wladyslaw Szpilman performing it for Polish radio is that neither Chopin nor Szpilman knew their futures and fates during the period of composition and performance. While these factoids may or may not interest you or have any bearing on your interpretation of the film, I feel that in a movie about someone who only has his music and blind luck, what he is able to turn to in his darkest hours (but alas cannot quite do) is extremely important.

Adrien Brody is a fine actor, and this performance is one of nuance and subtlety, not something exactly emphasized in the 'Transformers' and 'Twilight' days. Why should you spend two and a half hours in such dark territory when there's a new 3D movie showing practically every weekend? The answer to that isn't one that is universal, but you must understand that Roman Polanski intertwines this story with some of his own personal experiences during Nazi rule. This isn't a movie that is designed to make you feel depressed but instead launch you into a state of thoughtfulness. What I left feeling was a bittersweet gratitude, as the one who engaged in the most suffering is able to do what he loves most but someone in a higher position who helped him took his probably fate from him. Perhaps not every single Nazi was as evil as we think. This is touched upon, but what the majority did, as we all know, was beyond deplorable. You ask the question, 'why?' and get answered with a bullet in your brain. You drink mildewed water (if you're lucky enough to find it), eat when and if you find food, family members are murdered in front of you and you cannot grieve until you're left in silence, and you hardly ever sleep in the same place two nights in a row. These things are not, by any means, elements meant for cheap dramatic gain but instead are facts. The drama lies in the character, not the situation.

Any story of survival in this time is worth hearing, but this one isn't filled with a life lesson about survival and staying strong; instead, what leads to Szpilman's survival is mostly his fortunate luck of being in the right place at the right time. Unfortunately, luck is what caused many to survive. Of course, I feel strange using the word 'luck' in a review of a movie about the holocaust.

Szpilman was given the opportunity to join the other side but refused. Perhaps he always knew the Nazi position was temporary, perhaps he didn't wish to leave his family, or perhaps he simply knew right from wrong. Whatever the cause, Szpilman went into the war with everything and left with only his music and his love for music. Many people wish they had as much as Szpilman had.

Rated R for violence and brief strong language.
Buy it here.