I just watched my first movie of the year – The Pianist. It traces the life of Jewish pianist Wladyslaw Szpilman and his remarkable survival under Nazi rule in Poland.
I can now understand how the film has won critical acclaim, including the Palme d’Or. It not only has a compelling storyline (as do most war movies); it also has many artistic touches and a dash of humour which shows up in the most unlikely of scenes, lifting us out of the gloom ever so momentarily.
There is also a kind of closure when Szpilman returns to the radio station after the war to complete his Nocturne. The film isn’t called the Pianist for nothing – every so now and then, music re-enters his life and he relives his glorious past with a concerto in his head – before awakening back to war-torn reality.
Now I feel like watching Schindler’s List and Life is Beautiful.
Comments
Hey Van.
Agree completely. Saw this last year on the plane and thought that it was fantastic. I almost woke the guy next to me to shake him and go “wah, good ah”. The poor chap (the pianist) looked so hungry, I actually felt bad for binning my plane meal. I did have a pot noodle on his behalf though. Best bit? Where he almost gets shot for wearing the German’s overcoat. Who says that the only good German is a dead German?