The Pianist
Focus Features | Release Date: December 27, 2002
8.0
USER SCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 528 Ratings
USER RATING DISTRIBUTION
Positive:
450
Mixed:
26
Negative:
52
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10
JarrydsAug 31, 2010
The Pianist brights a completely new perception to the "war" genre; instead of depicting the protagonist as heroic, noble, or courageous, he is simply portrayed as the man caught in the midst of it. This provides the film with a soberingThe Pianist brights a completely new perception to the "war" genre; instead of depicting the protagonist as heroic, noble, or courageous, he is simply portrayed as the man caught in the midst of it. This provides the film with a sobering sense of realism, and will emotionally devastate, and aesthetically astound viewers, not the mention the superlative performance from Adrien Brody. Improves on each viewing.… Expand
3 of 3 users found this helpful30
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10
MustisTheCatAug 2, 2011
I especially appreciate this movie for portraying people as real as it gets. There are no only good or bad sides here. It shows us that the war never really changed poeple to mindless warmongering zombies. There were bad and good peopleI especially appreciate this movie for portraying people as real as it gets. There are no only good or bad sides here. It shows us that the war never really changed poeple to mindless warmongering zombies. There were bad and good people everywhere. The story of a young Jewish radio pianist is interesting as the perspective is shown from his secret flat provided by the Polish. Everything he experienced most of the time was viewing from his apartment`s window. The apocalyptic reality of ghettos also have some time in this movie so we can see how he Germans treated their slaves. The character played by Adrien Brody is likeable and interesting to the point we want to stick with the story. And in this movie we see another page of history which is Germans destroying Warsaw. In the end I felt sorry for Wilm Hosenfeld and I reflected upon how unjust and random war is.… Expand
3 of 3 users found this helpful30
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10
jack977May 10, 2014
An extremely humane tale of pure survival, The Pianist is undoubtedly one of Polanski's finest works - realistic, unflinching and never resorting to even the slightest melodrama.
2 of 2 users found this helpful20
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10
beingryanjudeAug 27, 2014
An entirely new perspective on the dark times of the Holocaust, The Pianist is a poignant masterpiece. Adrien Brody's portrayal of Szpilman is staggering and awe-inspiring. Roman Polanski has had many greats during his career, but this justAn entirely new perspective on the dark times of the Holocaust, The Pianist is a poignant masterpiece. Adrien Brody's portrayal of Szpilman is staggering and awe-inspiring. Roman Polanski has had many greats during his career, but this just may be his finest work.… Expand
2 of 2 users found this helpful20
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10
ColombiaGamesJan 20, 2013
This movie tells a story that we cannot forget , it is very shocking how the human being tries to live also known as survival escaping from the nazis. Everyone should se this movie because it has a great and amazing story to tell.
2 of 2 users found this helpful20
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10
MovieGuysApr 3, 2014
The Pianist is a breathtaking and outstanding film by Polanski. The acting is great, and the cinematography is gritty yet beautiful. But what makes The Pianist stand out from other films of this genre is how it portrays the Germans soThe Pianist is a breathtaking and outstanding film by Polanski. The acting is great, and the cinematography is gritty yet beautiful. But what makes The Pianist stand out from other films of this genre is how it portrays the Germans so antagonistic and ruthless, more than almost any other film I've seen, except for maybe "Schindler's List".… Expand
2 of 2 users found this helpful20
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10
PfenderStrat621Aug 23, 2014
This Palme D'or winner movie is one of the best movies i have ever seen. It connects emotionally with the audience, the music by Frederic Chopin is beautiful and the performances are very good. This movie is the reason why musicians struggleThis Palme D'or winner movie is one of the best movies i have ever seen. It connects emotionally with the audience, the music by Frederic Chopin is beautiful and the performances are very good. This movie is the reason why musicians struggle to live just to do what they love, art!… Expand
2 of 2 users found this helpful20
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10
zNeverSleepingFeb 16, 2020
Esse é um caso onde não podemos entender, pois não passamos por esse tipo de situação, mas sim podemos imaginar na nossa pele, e esse filme merece todos os méritos por isso.

A direção é muito inteligente e dirige o drama de maneiraEsse é um caso onde não podemos entender, pois não passamos por esse tipo de situação, mas sim podemos imaginar na nossa pele, e esse filme merece todos os méritos por isso.

A direção é muito inteligente e dirige o drama de maneira gradativa, desde a perda de direitos até os campos de concentração, o que levanta uma melancolia absurda, visto que aquilo realmente aconteceu. As atuações são boas, com claro destaque ao Adrien Brody que consegue passar a dor e o medo do personagem de maneira orgânica, apenas com o olhar e suas expressões. Vale dizer que as cenas focadas no piano são lindíssimas.

A cenografia é muito fiel a sua época, justo ao figurino, e a fotografia trabalha muito bem seus planos, mas não há nada de muito ousado aqui, e nem há porque.… Expand
1 of 1 users found this helpful10
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10
MichaelAAug 11, 2009
One of the best films to see WWII through the eyes of survivor, not a warrior, simply heart-wrenching yet magnificent, my favorite from Polanski
0 of 1 users found this helpful
4
DaveC.Sep 24, 2005
Can't go wrong with Adrien Brody, whose performance is, at once, intense and sympathetic, yet the character he is playing is little more than a void in the film, where we should in fact be thinking of him as the protagonist. Many Can't go wrong with Adrien Brody, whose performance is, at once, intense and sympathetic, yet the character he is playing is little more than a void in the film, where we should in fact be thinking of him as the protagonist. Many sections of the film are risible where the ought to be taken seriously and at other times, I wasn't even convinced. The piano playing sequences are pretentious and obvious and the rest of the film feels like a missed opportunity. Why doesn't it tackle issues like the prejudices of slavic poles towards the jews. I never got the sense of what it might have felt like to be jew. Polanski has evidently been more pre-occupied with making a crowd-pleasing thrill ride. What a waste.… Expand
0 of 1 users found this helpful
10
PanchogulApr 7, 2021
Muy real, cruda y entusiasta, una obra de arte de principio a fin, el retrato de los personajes en general, especialmente de los judíos polacos es conmovedor, los efectos de sonido son espectaculares, la banda sonora muy melodiosa y adecuadaMuy real, cruda y entusiasta, una obra de arte de principio a fin, el retrato de los personajes en general, especialmente de los judíos polacos es conmovedor, los efectos de sonido son espectaculares, la banda sonora muy melodiosa y adecuada en todo momento, pero la actuación de Adrien Brody es magistral e impecable, la empatia que transmite es de otro mundo. Excelente trabajo del gran Roman Polanski.… Expand
0 of 1 users found this helpful01
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10
RichardAug 27, 2005
What is it with some viewers? Are they babies who have to be spoon fed every emotion? Polanski doesn't try to hit you over the head and instead just lets the story slowly build. Many of the images in this film are unbelievable and leave What is it with some viewers? Are they babies who have to be spoon fed every emotion? Polanski doesn't try to hit you over the head and instead just lets the story slowly build. Many of the images in this film are unbelievable and leave you filled with horror. At the end of the film when Brody is back in the radio studio playing the piano (where the film began) we understand EXACTLY what he is feeling when he looks at his friend who has walked into the sound room. I guess some people need to be hit with a baseball bat in order to feel anything. The low votes for this film are just a reflection of our dumbed down and numbed culture.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
10
FelixQ.Jul 25, 2006
It just does not get much better than this. This film does not make use of elaborate or groundbraking camera techniques, doesn't over-play it's coloring or even it's wonderful sets- Roman allowed the story to speak greatly for It just does not get much better than this. This film does not make use of elaborate or groundbraking camera techniques, doesn't over-play it's coloring or even it's wonderful sets- Roman allowed the story to speak greatly for itself. In simplicity, this film achieved more than Space Odyssey did with all it's grandeur, in my opinion. My mother, a professional musician, asked why it was called 'The Pianist', as there wasn't much applicable piano playing in the movie- but the title is about so much more than that. To me, it basically hands you the character on a silver platter- music is all he is, and is such an underlying force in his survival. The scene where the officer tells him to play once he's been found in the house, I could feel that passion of returning to his own little world. Music creates that head space for him and he becomes unaware of the officer, just being able to get rid of so much pent-up emotion that it makes me cry every time I see it. Adrien Brody is beyond belief, keeping his performance subtle and relying on the strength of the character and the force of the story to bring this one to life. Like I said, this movie never resorts to visual over-stimulation (although that has it's place) but still manages to give you a photographic piece of art to accompany the majesty of the film itself. One of the few in my DVD collection.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
9
HuiW.Apr 21, 2007
The Pianist, a movie depicting the holocaust of Nazi like Schindler's List, arouse me a question that is why the western people could not pay more attention to Nanjiang Massacre. Even some of them never heard the history. Only during WW The Pianist, a movie depicting the holocaust of Nazi like Schindler's List, arouse me a question that is why the western people could not pay more attention to Nanjiang Massacre. Even some of them never heard the history. Only during WW II from Dec.,1938 to Jun.,1939, more than 300,000 people was killed by Japanese army in their own country. I suppose maybe this history can be good materials for a historic movie.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
9
richardhNov 15, 2008
Spectacular film. hard to call it polanski's best since Chinatown is may be one of the top 5 films of all time, but if you don't feel incredibly moved by the film - check you pulse, because you might be dead.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
10
LauraF.Jul 28, 2009
It's the exact copy of Wladyslaw Szpilman's memories.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
9
RONGIUFeb 8, 2011
Sorry, machine translation. Thanks. Untermensch - Lower The music helps us to live, indeed to survive. One survivor, if still of sound mind, can not have memory. And the memory "music" of a pianist, is very long term. The music also helps toSorry, machine translation. Thanks. Untermensch - Lower The music helps us to live, indeed to survive. One survivor, if still of sound mind, can not have memory. And the memory "music" of a pianist, is very long term. The music also helps to seek, to find and hope for our hero, to forgive. So I understand. But who is our hero? His name is Wladyslaw Szpilman Adrien Brody / is the famous pianist of the "Warsaw Ghetto", his talent has crossed the Polish borders. Szpilman familiar chromatic scales, those that give color; insignificant harmonica in his hands takes vivacity. Among other things, the implementation of the Study op. 10 No. 2 by Frederic Chopin, which requires a special technique of execution, not for nothing is unprepared. Moreover, our Wladyslaw, Chopin knows everything, really everything. The story goes that when Chopin composed the op. 10 No. 2, was inspired by a mouse, quickly seen running to his room. Szpilman has seen much else in his Warsaw Germans, many, "armed in the soul" with the most powerful poisons, HATRED. Ready for anything, to destroy everything, to "destroy inside." It all began in September 1939. The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact of August 23, 1939 is a done deal. Consequence of this is the invasion and division of Polish territory by the Russians and Germans. I am the latter, the co-stars in the film directed by Roman Polanski. I said, the German planes begin bombing Warsaw at the same time, the camera captures our pianist, impassive, calm, almost disinterested in studies of Warsaw radio, while continuing to play the C # 20 Nocturno, Op posth- F. Chopin. It is 'forced' to vanish quickly when another explosion shatters all the glass panes of the studio and beyond. E ', this, the last sonata "live". E '1945, the "reborn" Polish studies, incorporate the same hands to put pressure on blacks and white keys of a piano. The piece by Chopin "violently interrupted" resumes its "path". The mind and hands of the "survivor" are stylistically synchronous. Chopeniani enthusiasts who have had the good fortune to listen to before the events and now are not slow to realize that the anxiety and pessimism gives way to a romance aimed at all "to escape" the thought and memory, while not forgetting. But what has happened in all these years to the Szpilman family, our composer, to the thousands of Polish Jews? What imparts the "INFINITE" circular Nazi? What are Judenräte? What role occupies the Wehrmacht officer, Captain Wilm Hosenfeld? Thomas Kretschmann / seen by our "the only human being wearing the German uniform I have ever known." Polanski, finally finds the strength to tell and tell. In fact, the story told is an excerpt from the memoirs of Polish pianist Wladyslaw Szpilman, written after the war. The director, at the time a child is imprisoned in the Krakow ghetto. The facts narrated are not at all "handled". What happens in the ghetto is told without rhetoric. "Beyond the wall," Jews are accomplices Jews who have grown rich on the backs of other Jews, there is a whole underwater life. But not intentionally. I think. Choosing is not easy when you find yourself alone in front of the "certainty of death." He who saves a soul is as if he saved the entire universe is written in the Talmud. Wilm Hosenfeld will ever have a tree dedicated in the Garden of the Righteous in Jerusalem? And today? The Second World War is over? My answer is no. A long appendix of global tragedies following the tragic events. The man still does not learn from his mistakes. And Italy? Italy is a country at war. But who knows? And the cinema? The cinema has a duty to tell / inform, if you like. The viewer has the duty to investigate / guard, if you like. It is of free thought. And this I do not give up. "The Pianist" won: Two 2002 Oscar - Best Director Roman Polanski s best actor Adrien Brody /; Cannes Film Festival 2002 - Palme d'Or for Best Film with Roman Polanski; David di Donatello 2003 - Best foreign film with Roman Polanski.… Expand
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7
jp992751Jan 26, 2011
The Pianist is a beautifully shot, beautifully acted portrayal of the life of Pianist Wladyslaw Szpolman. His hardships and survival are a true beckon to the human desire for survival and Brody portrays his character perfectly. The only thingThe Pianist is a beautifully shot, beautifully acted portrayal of the life of Pianist Wladyslaw Szpolman. His hardships and survival are a true beckon to the human desire for survival and Brody portrays his character perfectly. The only thing separating this from Schindlers List were the lack of tears shed. Otherwise The Pianist is a movie that is brutal in its accuracy of the Nazi atrocities and is difficult to watch at time. Still the captivating camera work and acting keeps the viewer glued to the tv praying for the survival of Szpilman… Expand
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9
Ridz43Mar 21, 2011
The Pianist is a poignant and amazing adaptation of a man's spell-bounding survival in Warsaw during the Holocaust! Roman Polanski brings forth fantastic directing that moves a movie viewer to his deepest heart! Additionally, Adrien BrodyThe Pianist is a poignant and amazing adaptation of a man's spell-bounding survival in Warsaw during the Holocaust! Roman Polanski brings forth fantastic directing that moves a movie viewer to his deepest heart! Additionally, Adrien Brody captivates all with his well deserved Oscar winning perfomance treating us all with a performance of a lifetime!… Expand
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8
spadenxDec 19, 2011
Brody gives a powerful performance but the rest of the cast can never really come close to his presence on screen. Its rather graphic in some parts as well so that may shy away some viewers. Its still a solid film though, A must see movie imo.
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9
dheerajiOct 5, 2012
When this movie came out ten years ago, it received much critical acclaim. Somehow, I never got around to watching it. The other night I noticed it was available on Netflix streaming, so I decided to watch.

This was an amazing movie. ToWhen this movie came out ten years ago, it received much critical acclaim. Somehow, I never got around to watching it. The other night I noticed it was available on Netflix streaming, so I decided to watch.

This was an amazing movie. To me, it was more moving than Schindler's List. Adrien Brody's acting was top notch and the direction was great.… Expand
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9
SpangleNov 22, 2013
Beautiful, engrossing, and tragic, this film is all of those and more. Beautifully directed by Roman Polanski and Adrien Brody excells in the lead role. Absolutely brilliant film.
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9
Compi24Nov 28, 2012
Roman Polanski's monumental, shocking, and - most of all - uplifting biopic not only features Adrien Brody's greatest acting turn, but some truly unshakable imagery.
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7
ExKingMay 10, 2013
the pianist is a good movie however for those of us who watched Schindler's List first
well it is kinda the same events with with a special story in the main events but
this movie doesn't feel like the pianist until the last 20 minutesthe pianist is a good movie however for those of us who watched Schindler's List first
well it is kinda the same events with with a special story in the main events but
this movie doesn't feel like the pianist until the last 20 minutes it's actually confusing
it's kinda like watching memento and then watching source code afterward.… Expand
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7
levitt_jrAug 29, 2013
suasana mencekam di film ini sangat terasa, dan performa adrien brody cukup baik, namun saya pikir dia kurang pantas untuk mendapat oscar dan film ini terlalu drama sehingga terkadang membosankan
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9
death12123Apr 9, 2020
The Pianist is a great movie to watch and showed how the struggles were from a different view of a Polist-Jewish Survivor. Definitely something unique and worth checking out.
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8
Meth-dudeDec 28, 2016
It was well acted, well shot, entertaining and very well made. The Pianist definitely is a classic and it is totally worth your 2h30.I highly recommend it.
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9
diogomendesFeb 12, 2015
Widely tense, powerfully written and well acted, "The Pianist" is a truly moving motion picture that manages to entertain everyone who likes war films.
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9
AkashVijayJan 22, 2015
It works because Roman Polanski is absolutely uncompromising. It's haunting and poetic and blends artistry with repugnance in a manner I've never seen before.
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9
MisterLucaJul 26, 2014
A sensational film. Roman Polanski and his amazing vision bring us one of his moving masterpieces. the film tells the amazing life story of acclaimed Polish pianist Wladyslaw Szpilman, focusing on his touching story of survival during WorldA sensational film. Roman Polanski and his amazing vision bring us one of his moving masterpieces. the film tells the amazing life story of acclaimed Polish pianist Wladyslaw Szpilman, focusing on his touching story of survival during World War II. With a beautiful cast, The Pianist is a great biographical drama i've seen in years. Loyal, genuine and above all a moving portrait of the Second World War and its worldwide impact.… Expand
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10
MarianaHJaimesFeb 25, 2015
An enriching experience, with an actor who knew how to take advantage and show the deplorable situations in which this film is based, is one of the best portraits of the second world war that i have seen, without falling into the extremeAn enriching experience, with an actor who knew how to take advantage and show the deplorable situations in which this film is based, is one of the best portraits of the second world war that i have seen, without falling into the extreme cruelty and taking care of the aesthetic essence.… Expand
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10
RalfbergsAug 31, 2016
I am surprised that this movie has 55 negative reviews from users - so many, why? Yes it doesn't say why or why not you should care about happens and all that. But it isn't meant to, people should now that what happenned was bad and shouldI am surprised that this movie has 55 negative reviews from users - so many, why? Yes it doesn't say why or why not you should care about happens and all that. But it isn't meant to, people should now that what happenned was bad and should never happen again - this movie shows how bad it was, how you had to hide from nazis, how bad it was at the ghettos and all that. Yeah, maybe the main character gets lucky too much in the movie, but besides that it is still a great movie.… Expand
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6
JumpmanJan 9, 2016
It is real it raw it is imminent and moving, the acting is stellar the storyline is ok and paces with historical facts but it is not as appealing as a movie as i had hoped
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10
FuturedirectorSep 11, 2017
Without Adrien Brody's unique interpretation and Roman Polanski's almost insuperable direction, The Pianist wouldn't have reached the success-position, favorable critics, and the awards that it has right now.
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8
SrPepeJun 5, 2018
Una muy buena película que cuenta una gran historia de superación y lucha, es de esas obras que todos tendrían que conocer.
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8
MovieMasterEddyApr 4, 2016
Roman Polanski's new movie, "The Pianist," is based on the memoirs of Wladyslaw Szpilman, a star of Polish radio and cafe society in the 1930's and a member of Warsaw's assimilated Jewish middle class, who lived through the Nazi occupationRoman Polanski's new movie, "The Pianist," is based on the memoirs of Wladyslaw Szpilman, a star of Polish radio and cafe society in the 1930's and a member of Warsaw's assimilated Jewish middle class, who lived through the Nazi occupation and the Warsaw ghetto. Szpilman's recollections, published shortly after the war, offer, like other such books, a deeply paradoxical impression of the Holocaust. Accounts of survival, that is, are both representative and anomalous; they at once record this all but unimaginable historical catastrophe and, without intentional mendacity or inaccuracy, distort it.

The reason for this could not be simpler. Most of the intended victims of Nazi genocide did not survive; the typical Jewish experience in 1940's Europe was death. One of the main genres that allow later generations access to this time thus presents an inevitably unrepresentative picture of it.

We naturally identify with the protagonists of these books, and the characters based on them in movies and plays, and so imagine that we would have been among the lucky ones, even if the real odds suggest otherwise. (We also comfort ourselves in the vain belief that, had we been there, we would have bravely defied the Nazis, risking our own well-being to help their victims.) When it is not treated with the uneasy sentimentality reserved for miracles, survival — whether through dumb luck, resilience, the kindness of strangers or some combination of these — is often viewed with a deep and bitter sense of the absurd.

Mr. Polanski, who was a Jewish child in Krakow when the Germans arrived in September 1939, presents Szpilman's story with bleak, acid humor and with a ruthless objectivity that encompasses both cynicism and compassion. When death is at once so systematically and so capriciously dispensed, survival becomes a kind of joke. By the end of the film, Szpilman, brilliantly played by Adrien Brody, comes to resemble one of Samuel Beckett's gaunt existential clowns, shambling through a barren, bombed-out landscape clutching a jar of pickles. He is like the walking punchline to a cosmic jest of unfathomable cruelty.

Perhaps because of his own experiences, Mr. Polanski approaches this material with a calm, fierce authority. This is certainly the best work Mr. Polanski has done in many years (which, unfortunately, is not saying a lot), and it is also one of the very few nondocumentary movies about Jewish life and death under the Nazis that can be called definitive (which is saying a lot). And — again paradoxically — this is achieved by realizing the modest, deliberate intention to tell a single person's story, to recreate a specific and finite set of events. (Ronald Harwood's script does take some necessary liberties with Szpilman's account, but these seem justified by the demands of movie storytelling.)

One of Mr. Polanski's trademarks is what might be called (to continue multiplying paradoxes) a humane sadism. He has always been fascinated by what happens to weak, ordinary people — Mia Farrow in "Rosemary's Baby," for instance, or Jack Nicholson in "Chinatown" — when they are intruded upon by evil forces more powerful than they, and he punishes his actors, peeling back their vanity to make them show the face of humanity under duress.

One of Mr. Brody's most appealing features — from "King of the Hill" 10 years ago through such varied and underseen pictures as "Restaurant," "Summer of Sam" and "Bread and Roses" more recently — is his quick-witted, almost smart-alecky cockiness. His Szpilman, in the first section of "The Pianist," has the gait of a self-satisfied dandy and the smug smile of a man who takes charm and good fortune as his birthright. As he plays piano in a broadcast studio, an explosion rattles the building. He ducks, wipes some plaster off his sleeve, and keeps playing. Later Szpilman refuses to allow the widespread panic at the German invasion to interfere with more pressing matters, like the seduction of a star-struck young woman named Dorota (Emilia Fox).

Mr. Polanski, working in Poland for the first time in 40 years (and also in Prague), reconstructs the look and rhythm of life in the ghetto with care and sobriety. You feel the dread and confusion of the inhabitants, and you also observe their intuitive, futile attempts to master the situation — circulating underground newspapers, smuggling contraband through the walls and quietly arming themselves for resistance.… Expand
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8
superbatMay 26, 2021
The Pianist is a solid war film which depicts a Jewish pianist's battle to survive in Nazi-occupied Poland. It's a powerful film driven by good direction from Polanski, as well as Adrien Brody's outstanding performance as Wladyslaw Szpilman.The Pianist is a solid war film which depicts a Jewish pianist's battle to survive in Nazi-occupied Poland. It's a powerful film driven by good direction from Polanski, as well as Adrien Brody's outstanding performance as Wladyslaw Szpilman. It's not the most remarkable war film that I've seen, but it's definitely worth a watch.… Expand
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10
pipebreApr 9, 2017
It's wonderful when a movie has such a beautiful meaning. I hope with the help of music, genocides, and every action of suffering stop it's course in humankind. Respect each other, love each other.
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10
alejandro970Mar 28, 2020
Made as a letter written for himself, Polanski narrates the memories of Wladyslaw Szpilman, a Jew pianist who lived a long odyssey with his family, going through gaps and famine, seeing how were all them deported to a death field, and forcedMade as a letter written for himself, Polanski narrates the memories of Wladyslaw Szpilman, a Jew pianist who lived a long odyssey with his family, going through gaps and famine, seeing how were all them deported to a death field, and forced to wander through of devastated Warsaw. A reminder about the power of hope against the odds. Mandatory but hard to watch for than once time.… Expand
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8
BroyaxJan 9, 2017
Etonnant destin que celui de ce juif polonais, pianiste de son état, qui a survécu au ghetto de Varsovie et à la guerre elle-même, puis est resté en Pologne jusqu'à sa mort... à 88 ans ! un Polonais avant tout et un pianiste magistralementEtonnant destin que celui de ce juif polonais, pianiste de son état, qui a survécu au ghetto de Varsovie et à la guerre elle-même, puis est resté en Pologne jusqu'à sa mort... à 88 ans ! un Polonais avant tout et un pianiste magistralement interprêté par un Adrien Brody criant de vérité.

C'est aussi, disons-le, l'un des meilleurs films de Polanski (malgré sa longueur excessive...) qui restitue l'horreur sans en faire des mégatonnes, avec une sobriété qu'il faut saluer, car inutile d'en rajouter dans le pathos comme un Spielberg par exemple : la simple narration des faits suffit amplement et l'émotion subtilement induite fait le reste, naturellement.

Une réalité historique très bien restituée, un compromis idéal entre le côté humain et les évènements terrifiants, le Pianiste est aussi un pan de l'histoire de la Pologne elle-même qui a payé un tribut très lourd durant ce conflit. Un beau film tout en retenue et une mise en scène d'une rare élégance.… Expand
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10
FilipeNetoFeb 13, 2022
There are some films that are so powerful and remarkable that they remain in the collective memory. This is one of them... not because it is a film about the Jewish holocaust, because there are a lot of films about that, but because of theThere are some films that are so powerful and remarkable that they remain in the collective memory. This is one of them... not because it is a film about the Jewish holocaust, because there are a lot of films about that, but because of the raw way in which it approached it, without artifice or heroism. Directed with absolute mastery by Roman Polanski - himself a Holocaust survivor, with many harsh memories of the time, some of them used here - the film seeks to mirror the personal account of the difficulties experienced by Wladyslaw Szpilman, a Jewish pianist who worked on the radio when the Poland is invaded by Nazi Germany.

I have not read the original account written by Szpilman, who would die at a time when the film was being made, but I give credit to Polanski's efforts. The director wanted a faithful, realistic and sincere account, and managed to turn his film into a historically faithful and credible portrayal of the facts and events that took place in Warsaw during the German invasion, including the occupation of the city, the forced relocation of Jews to the ghetto and transport to the extermination camps, the harsh living conditions experienced by those who lived in the ghetto and the way in which the Polish resistance and confined Jews collaborated to oppose the invaders, in a work that reached its peak with the Ghetto Revolt, suppressed with extreme violence, as we know. The pianist's story unfolds among all these facts, making Szpilman the eyewitness of all this. In the midst of absolute barbarism, dissonant notes that help us not to see reality in black and white: a Jewish police that collaborates with the Nazis by oppressing their ethnic brothers, a Polish housewife who does not hesitate to denounce that Jew that hides in the apartment next door, and a German officer who, against all odds, is willing to help him, even giving him his military coat, so he won't get cold. War and life have these things.

Adrien Brody, still young, achieved with this film the most striking and powerful interpretation of his career to date. He's a great actor, he'll have a lot of opportunities to do something as good or better, but I have to admit that it's going to be difficult to give us something so powerful and intense. Next to him, we have good performances by Frank Finlay, Emilia Fox, Michal Zebrowski and Thomas Kretschmann, among other actors, all of them two or three steps below Brody.

Technically, the film makes the most of the chosen filming locations in Warsaw, where filming was concentrated. The sets and costumes are loaded with detail and realism, transporting us to the time and historical context with a truly enviable rigor, worthy of a documentary. To this work, we have to associate impeccable and beautifully thought out cinematography, where light and color gradually disappear, as all the action progresses and the atrocities become more and more evident. There are also some very well executed CGI effects that take us through a city devastated by bombing and fighting. The tension and harshness of the events keep us stuck with the film until the end, and the brutality and destruction of the war are the icing on the cake. The soundtrack brings together a series of magnificent melodies by Chopin, a composer who knew how to explore the harmony and nostalgia of the piano as almost no one else knew how to do after him. Ironically or not, this Polish composer was anti-Semitic (like many people in his time), which did not prevent pianists of Jewish blood like Arthur Rubinstein from poring over his scores to the great delight of music lovers...… Expand
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9
Alsethe2ndMay 28, 2019
As a pianist and a person with a love for history this movie really brought a deep insight onto the world of a Polish Jew in WW2. This film is set in Poland during the second World War when Jews were being persecuted in the Holocaust,As a pianist and a person with a love for history this movie really brought a deep insight onto the world of a Polish Jew in WW2. This film is set in Poland during the second World War when Jews were being persecuted in the Holocaust, although many know of its horrors this movie really displays to what extent the Jews would be targeted and tortured and highlights how the suffering was universal, instead of selected the Jews who had done something wrong they are all bunched together and treated as less than human, The Pianist really does well to display this through the mood of the areas in which the movie takes place and through character development shows the corruption of the body both physically and mentally, lacking in trust and doing all it takes to survive. Despite its name, The Pianist has very little piano scores throughout the whole film played by the protagonist which makes the ones he does play even more impactful and beautiful, a man stripped of what he treasures, finally gets to enjoy it again. This movie is a real tear-jerker especially as it's based on a true story if you are interested in war this movie will shine a true and honest light on it and if you enjoy classical music in anyway this movie is definitely for you, it will bring an new and powerful connection between you and your music.… Expand
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10
TheHoncharovDec 11, 2018
Наверно лучший фильм который я смотрел.Наверно потому что главный герой этого фильма сыграл великолепную роль (после роли получил Оскар).
ПЛЮСЫ
+Игра на пианино +Не выдуманная история (основана на реальных событиях) +История о том как немцыНаверно лучший фильм который я смотрел.Наверно потому что главный герой этого фильма сыграл великолепную роль (после роли получил Оскар).
ПЛЮСЫ
+Игра на пианино
+Не выдуманная история (основана на реальных событиях)
+История о том как немцы относились к евреям.
+Пробирает до слёз.
МИНУСЫ (их для меня нету)… Expand
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9
ahmedaiman1999Apr 6, 2019
Honestly, I can't decide what's more heartrending and devastating: the agonies of the Jews, or the fact that Brody is one of the most wasted talents ever!

(9/10)
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9
PauloReviewsMar 18, 2019
"The Pianist" remains one of my favorite movies, partly because of Adrien Brody's admirable performance and engrossing story. It literally sticks you to the screen from the first minute to the last, without feeling boring or manipulative."The Pianist" remains one of my favorite movies, partly because of Adrien Brody's admirable performance and engrossing story. It literally sticks you to the screen from the first minute to the last, without feeling boring or manipulative. It's a first-class feature with marvelous cinematography, excellent camerawork and an outstanding direction from Roman Polanski.

9/10.… Expand
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10
AlonsinxxxApr 16, 2019
Great actors! The soundtrack is amazing. Roman Polanski made a great work directing this drama movie.
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8
glommanJan 4, 2022
The Pianist is a movie following Wladek, a Polish man from a jewish family during the perils of the Second World War. Beginning at the Siege of Warsaw in 1939 Wladek continues his strife to survive under ever-worsening surroundings he findsThe Pianist is a movie following Wladek, a Polish man from a jewish family during the perils of the Second World War. Beginning at the Siege of Warsaw in 1939 Wladek continues his strife to survive under ever-worsening surroundings he finds himself in up until the "Liberation of Warsaw" by the Soviets in 1945.
While its not the most impactful or meaningful movies I've seen about the Second World War and its impact on civilians - Downfall comes to mind as a very good example - it's still an important piece of art which shows that war brings death to not only specially trageted groups, but to everyone involved.… Expand
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10
Justin35Jul 23, 2019
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Sublime, conmovedora hasta el extremo, exquisita, una total obra de arte en cada escena sentí el dolor, la angustia y la si sobra sencillamente magnífico… Expand
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8
DawdlingPoetNov 20, 2021
First off, this is much more a war film than a musical drama - there are perhaps surprisingly few scenes actually depicting the main characters musical playing but of course the whole story is entirely centered around him and its a chillingFirst off, this is much more a war film than a musical drama - there are perhaps surprisingly few scenes actually depicting the main characters musical playing but of course the whole story is entirely centered around him and its a chilling depiction of the inhumane treatment of Jews during (among?) the darkest times of the 20th century. I suppose the piano playing, if only depicted on ocassion, presents the viewer with a clear sense of the beauty that still existed by those who were otherwise forced to be labelled as among the lowest class of people in German history at that time. There's undeniably a strong poignancy there. It conveys a depiction of disintegration, on a both personal and societal level.

One of the most memorable moments is depicted right at the start of the film, when said pianist (Wladyslaw Szpilman) is performing in I assume a recording studio and the impact of war based action is impossible to ignore.

This is a chilling/sobering watch. It highlights the hypocricy of the time its set and Adrien Brody gives a particularly powerful performance I'd say. A very thought provoking and sobering film, I'd recommend this.… Expand
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9
Jotasobri10Apr 23, 2020
Probably one of the best movies about the holocaust ever made. Hard to choose what’s better between Brody’s portrayal of the pianist, the amazing direction by Roman Polanski and the powerful and impacting visuals throughout the whole film.Probably one of the best movies about the holocaust ever made. Hard to choose what’s better between Brody’s portrayal of the pianist, the amazing direction by Roman Polanski and the powerful and impacting visuals throughout the whole film. Still blows my mind that this master piece didn’t win the academy award for best picture. Definitely a must watch for everyone.… Expand
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8
miguevindianoJul 19, 2021
I felt really uncomfortable watching some scenes and I think that was the goal of the director. This movie makes me think about the luck I have of not living any war.
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9
XmoviefilmsOct 3, 2020
A heart-wrenching drama that is remarkable in every cinematic element. This movie is one of the best to understand and feel the horrifying results of the war.
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10
Amirhosein2005Aug 11, 2021
A wonderful and unique film that has a lot to say and takes the audience deep into the story.
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10
anielahomeJul 18, 2021
A very heavy and difficult film but very well made and deals with heavy subjects. I recommend everyone to watch it to not make the mistakes of the past.
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7
ANONBABYAug 8, 2021
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Cosas que sabemos que son muy importantes, que son muy obvias pero que debemos recalcar de lo hermoso que es vivir en la actualidad si lo comparamos a lo que fue para el protagonista de esta historia. La comida, la ropa, la familia el hecho de llevarse bien con ellos para no arrepentirse de nada de no decir que pude haber pasado más tiempo para conocer a ese ser querido. Una narrativa esplendida para contar esta biografía.

Nuestro protagonista vivo totalmente por el hecho de que es pianista y por encima de ello que era lo que lo mantenía vivo, lo que lo hacia sobrevivir y tolerar todo esto y que no perdiese su locura. El brilla más con la música, se siente más cómodo con ella. La escena del piano frente al soldado alemán. Se le veía en paz total.

La dirección increíble, nos introduce al ambiente perfecto de lo que la historia trata de expresar. Actuación increíble. La fotografías con los detalles de fondo esa escena icónica cunado nuestro protagonista es salvado por un soldado judío y camina en medio de toda la ciudad solitaria y con las maletas tiradas fabuloso. Se expresa esa soledad que Wlady sentía.… Expand
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7
AgentLviJul 7, 2023
Decent movie. The story is so --so, scoring is great, visual is decent, and the voice is also great
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10
Takis421May 1, 2022
It's very emotional and it's based on a real story and the acting is very good
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10
liamexeJun 9, 2022
This is without a doubt the best film of its genre ever made. The film's brilliant directing, acting, and storyline work together to draw you into a historically disturbing, yet intriguing plot. Brody is deserving of his Academy Award becauseThis is without a doubt the best film of its genre ever made. The film's brilliant directing, acting, and storyline work together to draw you into a historically disturbing, yet intriguing plot. Brody is deserving of his Academy Award because he brings forth the best in 'The Pianist.' His acting is subtle enough that you can forget you're watching a movie and instead are living through his eyes. Simultaneously, it is bold and loud enough to make you experience every emotion as his character embarks on his harrowing trip.… Expand
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10
azizfaJun 6, 2022
Excellent acting by brody,amazing cinematography,astonishing directing over all one of the best movies i've ever watched
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