The Pianist

Review by James Anthony

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The horror of the Nazi bid to exterminate Jews in World War 2 is brought home with feeling and power in The Pianist - a look at the Holocaust through the eyes of Polish musician Wladyslaw Szpilman (Adrien Brody).

Szpilman's story of survival in the Warsaw Ghetto is nothing short of miraculous and even more surprising is the fact that had it not been for one humane German officer his years of suffering could have come to a very nasty end.

The movie follows Szpilman as he and his family tumble from a comfortable lifestyle in pre-war Poland to being just a group among the 600,000 Jews trapped in the overcrowded ghetto.

Brutality follows humiliation and finally the starving mass of people are sent off on trains towards the Nazi death camps.

Most of Szpilman's family go that way, but he ... well, see the movie and find out what adventures he went through.

The cast of The Pianist is marvellous. Brody is restrained and real as the hero, Frank Finlay and Maureen Lipmann are wonderful as his parents.

This is not a German-bashing movie, in fact one of the heroes is a German officer Hosenfeld (Thomas Kretschmann), and some of the Jews are bad and on the side of the Nazis.

The costumes, settings and cinematography are brilliant and the video transfer is flawless. Sound-wise, The Pianist works perfectly.

Despite its subject material this movie is rather uplifting and while it doesn't pull punches, it doesn't dwell unnecessarily on the horrors. Mind you, it also doesn't mention the fact that after World War 2 the pitiful handful of camp survivors tried to go back to their homes only to be rejected by the self-righteous Poles.

Conclusion: 90% Extras: 80%.

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