DVD Review *** Official "THE PIANIST" Review Thread (1 Viewer)

[Edwin Pereyra]

The Pianist tells the true story of Wladyslaw Szpilman as it chronicles his life from 1939 to 1945 in Warsaw ghetto during Germany’s occupation of Poland. Adrien Brody plays the classical pianist in what is to become a career defining performance.
Roman Polanski sidesteps the melodrama and presents his narrative in a matter-of-fact kind of essay. Others will not care for the main protagonist’s passive approach to the events unfolding around him. However, such approach is exactly what Polanski intended as Szpilman is presented not as a hero or someone who wants to make a change but rather as a man who just wants to survive in a very unfriendly world.
The Pianist is a work of art and perhaps Polanski’s most personal film yet. The images detailed in this 2-½ hour film are the ones that leave a lasting impression on its viewers. It is a monumental film that triumphs for its visual artistry, its epic scope and most of all, for its human story.
~Edwin

 

[Robert Crawford]

This thread is now the Official Review Thread for "The Pianist". Please post all HTF member reviews in this thread.
Any other comments, links to other reviews, or discussion items will be deleted from this thread without warning!
If you need to discuss those type of issues then I have designated an Official Discussion Thread.
Crawdaddy

 

[Jay W]

Remarkable movie, very well made and IMHO does justice to Szpilman's story. As Edwin mentioned, it's very matter-of-fact and much more a tale of the events (and people) surrounding Szpilman, rather than his tale of heroism admist the carnage and sorrow. It also did a great job of showing the 'good' and 'bad' people on both sides of the fence, and didn't make it as black and white as you would expect. Polanski himself admitted that he didn't want to make the film autobiographical in nature and wanted to make something postive out of a painful chapter in Polish history and I think he succeeded at every level with The Pianist. The music was brilliant too, one of the best of the year.

****/****

 

[Patrick Sun]

While being a very good film that sucks you into that harrowing period during WWII in Poland, the sense of detachment between us and the protagonist, Wladyslaw Szpilman, in the 3rd act of the film keeps the film as non-sentimental as possible. It may be intentional by Polanski (the director), but I think it's what keeps it from being a superb film, but it's still very well done, and worth seeing and hearing on the big screen.

Adrien Brody does a phenomenal job in the film, able to articulate the plight of Szpilman with minimal dialog in the final act, while imparting all the fears and anxiety and self-preservational urges in his portrayal of Szpilman from a very personal prospective from German occupation of Poland to the end of WWII.

I give it 3.5 stars, or a grade of B+

 

[ThomasC]

Copy Patrick's review and you've got mine. I loved how the ending credits were done!

 

[Arman]

Well, append Jehan's post at the end of Edwin Pereyra's initial post then you get my review.
I have said many times already, 2002 is a fantastic year for films. There are more than 20 2002 films that got my A ratings but IMHO, The Pianist gets the absolute highest rating that I could give to a film so far for any 2002 film.
Watching The Pianist is like watching the realism of the battle scenes of the chilling Black Hawk Down. Unlike the emotionally manipulative Schindler's List, films like The Pianist & Black Hawk Down are presented in way that do not ask or expect for viewers symphaties for their protagonists. It is not about a hero or any act of heroism during the holocaust. The Pianist is about surviving the holocaust made by another holocaust survivor.
The Pianist = A+ (a masterpiece)

 

[Tim Glover]

Just saw this tonight. I agree with Patrick's review. I enjoyed the film and thought Brody was great. I didn't feel connected at times, especially in the first hour. Of course so many of our modern mainstream films are dumbed down to yank us in/out emotionally. The Pianist is not like that at all. It's in absolutely no hurry telling its story.
:star: :star: :star: out of :star: :star: :star: :star: