Full Movie Reviews
Rating of
3.5/4
"The Pianist" by Yojimbo
Yojimbo - wrote on 04/16/2012
Roman Polanski directs the harrowing story of Wladyslaw Szpilman, a Polish pianist and Jew who survived the horrors of the holocaust in WWII. Adrian Brody' performance is the centrepiece as it is a very personal journey as you watch with despair and revulsion as Polish jews are stripped of their livelihoods, their rights and their dignity by a brutally oppressive regime. It's unusual in that rather telling the story of a man involved in a war, it's more of a spectator's point of view; in fact the later scenes in which Brody is entirely alone, disheveled and scavenging for food in a decimated wasteland feel a little sterile. The absence of human interaction means it lacks the emotional impact of something like Schindler's List, but it is a shocking and horrifying tale, made all the more …
Rating of
3.5/4
The Pianist review
Daniel Corleone - wrote on 12/24/2011
Władysław Szpilman (Adrien Brody), a famous Polish Jewish pianist working for Warsaw Radio, sees the whole world disintegrate with the Invasion of Poland on 1 September 1939. When the German Army enters Warsaw, living conditions for the Jewish population has worsened, with daily massacres. Szpilman is saved at the last moment by one of the Jewish Ghetto Police, who happens to be a family friend. Wladyslaw asks Majorek a favor to escape and plans of fighting back. The Gestapo discovers the weapons.
This biographical war film has excellent screenplay with professional artists. Brody’s portrayal of Szpilman was astonishing. Its realistic directing, authentic set locations, score was applicable to each particular frame. Some of the quotes include: Majorek – “It’s …
Rating of
3.5/4
Excellent true story of a Jewish pianist.
filmfan09 - wrote on 03/09/2009
THE PIANIST is the emotionally devastating true story of Wladyslaw Szpilman (Adrien Brody), a Jewish pianist in Poland caught up in the horrors of World War II. The Nazis invade Poland, confine the Jews to ghettos then ship them off to concentration camps. This has to be one of the most honest films about the holocaust. The film is amazingly well done and director Roman Polanski delivers the epic journey of a man who is transformed by a series of events from an well-dressed, highly cultured musician to a scavenging, hollow shell of a human being in a very thoughtful, skillful way.
This an excellent look at the Holocaust through a Jewish man's eyes, but I can see how the violence could be upsetting to some viewers. The violence is heartbreaking and graphic with showing the widespread …
Rating of
3.5/4
I can still hear Szpilman's music
BryanFury - wrote on 02/18/2008
We're all are so lucky to be living in a time were people are free. Unlike those who did during the holocaust, we did not have to deal with slavery and death. The film did exactly what it was meant for, to put haunting images of what it would have been like to be right there. In that place in time where the biggest sin anyone could ever have is their faith. Being Jew almost guarantees someone a doomed fate in the hands of the ruthless SS. Summary executions are swift and vicious that you could almost feel your heart jumping inside your chest as soon as you hear a gun fire and a body falls flat on the pavement. Although there a lot of things going on right there in that period the story concentrates more on the pianist Szpilman. Brody plays this pianist and blew everyone away including me …
