The Pianist Review by Difan Li

 The Pianist Review by Difan Li

The Pianist is a 2002 film based on the 1946 memoir written by a Holocaust surivvior, a pianist named Władysław Szpilman. The movie follows Szpilman’s life during World War II as the Nazis invade and occupy Warsaw, Poland. Szpilman, his family, and thousands of Jewish people are forced to move into the Warsaw Ghetto where they face increasingly terrible conditions and brutal treatment under the guards and soldiers. Szpilman becomes separated from his family, and only through luck, perseverance, and unexpected kindness, he is able to survive till the end of the war. 

The film is an incredible adaption of Szpilman’s book, with both the actor’s raw emotion and the director’s choices allowing viewers to gain a clear perspective to his story and the tragedies faced by the millions of victims of World War II. A warning would be that the movie is very emotionally impacting and there are scenes of violence that may be disturbing and difficult to watch. However, this is what makes this film so powerful, as it stands as a beautiful message of hope and the desire to survive amidst war and also cautions against the dangers of repeating history.