[seeing that it is Shakespeare's 'The Merchant of Venice'] Very appropriate.". The Pianist Questions and Answers. and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and Fandango. | Rating: 4.5/5 Don't have an account? Reviewed byLaura Bushell Updated 20 January 2003 "The Pianist" is based on the extraordinary events of Polish musician Wladyslaw Szpilman's life. More than once we hear him reassuring others that everything will turn out all right; this faith is based not on information or even optimism, but essentially on his belief that, for anyone who plays the piano as well as he does, it must. |, May 26, 2009 Steven Spielberg tried to enlist him to direct "Schindler's List," but he refused, perhaps because Schindler's story involved a man who deliberately set out to frustrate the Holocaust, while from personal experience Polanski knew that fate and chance played an inexplicable role in most survivals. Brody gave us one of his best performances. In this adaptation of the autobiography "The Pianist: The Extraordinary True Story of One Man's Survival in Warsaw, 1939-1945," Wladyslaw Szpilman, a Polish Jewish radio station pianist, sees Warsaw change gradually as World War II begins. This is not a thriller, and avoids any temptation to crank up suspense or sentiment; it is the pianist's witness to what he saw and what happened to him. His grandparents and father fled their homeland Palestine and settled in Yarmouk, a temporary settlement to more than 160,000 refugees in Damascus, Syria. There is heartbreaking and graphic violence. Review: Powerful ‘Pianist of Willesden Lane’ returns to Bay Area Show is a stirring mix of storytelling and musicianship. By now it is near the end of the war and the city lies in ruins; he finds some rooms standing in the rubble, ironically containing a piano that he dare not play. This is a perfectly competent picture. True story of a Jewish pianist; OK for older kids. His autobiography was published soon after the war, but was suppressed by Communist authorities because it did not hew to the party line (some Jews were flawed and a German was kind). Une belle russite fait menant une rflexion honnte sur un sujet face auquel on aurait pu croire que tout aavait dj t dit. Kawai CA59: Best ‘real feeling’ digital piano. The Pianist Questions and Answers. … |, February 27, 2003 For Violence and Brief Strong Language, Thomas Kretschmann Coming Soon. It's so bad, it's good! Old-fashioned in both visual and narrative style and in its overall restraint, the film clearly benefits from the director's first-hand knowledge of the territory. All rights reserved. You're almost there! The Pianist is a 2002 war biographical drama film produced and directed by Roman Polanski, with a script by Ronald Harwood, and starring Adrien Brody. [seeing that it is Shakespeare's 'The Merchant of Venice'] Very appropriate. We watch as the Nazi noose tightens. The Pianist Movie Review By WillFoxification What's up, guys!? Just leave us a message here and we will work on getting you verified. Well worth watching. |, April 29, 2009 Share this: Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Adrien Brody in the Running for "Hulk" Sequel? Some reviews of "The Pianist" have found it too detached, lacking urgency. The Nazis invade Poland, confine Jews to a ghetto, and eventually ship them off to concentration camps. Cinemark | Rotten (9). By showing Szpilman as a survivor but not a fighter or a hero--as a man who does all he can to save himself, but would have died without enormous good luck and the kindness of a few non-Jews--Polanski is reflecting, I believe, his own deepest feelings: that he survived, but need not have, and that his mother died and left a wound that had never healed. Szpilman is played in the film by Adrien Brody, who is more gaunt and resourceless than in Ken Loach's "Bread And Roses" (2000), where he played a cocky Los Angeles union organizer. Then the movie tells the long and incredible story of how Szpilman survived the war by hiding in Warsaw, with help from the Polish resistance. Roman Polanski's "The Pianist" tells the story of a Polish Jew, a classical musician, who survived the Holocaust through stoicism and good luck. | Rating: A+ The image is an example of a ticket confirmation email that AMC sent you when you purchased your ticket. Regal war, | Rating: 8/10 | Rating: 4/5 By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy The Pianist (2002) A+ SDG Roman Polanski’s The Pianist may be almost the first Holocaust film in a decade that doesn’t play like a footnote to Schindler’s List.It’s tempting to compare and contrast these two masterpieces, and even more tempting to make a case as to why one is superior to the other (a case could easily be made either way). Well-acted and dramatically moving, The Pianist is Polanski's best work in years. The closing scenes of the movie involve Szpilman's confrontation with a German captain named Wilm Hosenfeld (Thomas Kretschmann), who finds his hiding place by accident. The city's Jews are forced to give up their possessions and move to the Warsaw ghetto, and there is a somber shot of a brick wall being built to enclose it. Powered by JustWatch "The Piano" is as peculiar and haunting as any film I've seen. | Rating: A+ One of Polanski's best films to date, The Pianist is an adaptation of the autobiography from Szpilman who survived the Holocaust in Poland. The Piano Teacher, the most famous novel of Elfriede Jelinek, who was awarded the 2004 Nobel Prize in Literature, is a shocking, searing, aching portrait of a woman bound between a repressive society and her darkest desires. This is not a thriller, and avoids any temptation to crank up suspense or sentiment; it is the pianist's witness to what he saw and what happened to him. His own survival (and that of his father) are in a sense as random as Szpilman's, which is perhaps why he was attracted to this story. The Pianist is a breathtaking and outstanding film by Polanski. Lousy production values, cheesy dialog, wooden actors, and an annoying voice-over narrator. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them 3, Fall TV First Look: Find Out What’s Coming, The Best Peacock Original Shows and Movies, All Upcoming Disney Movies: New Disney Live-Action, Animation, Pixar, Marvel, and More, "If you prick us, do we not bleed? A Jewish police force is formed to enforce Nazi regulations, and Szpilman is offered a place on it; he refuses, but a good friend, who joins, later saves his life by taking him off a train bound for the death camps. The film was a co-production of France, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Poland. Similarly, the look Polanski achieves with the natural lighting is incredible. But what’s strangely lacking here is a real sense of heat or urgency. A fantastic Holocaust film from one of the greatest directors of all time, Roman Polanski, The Pianist is masterfully made and accompanied by an astounding performance from Adrien Brody as a Polish Jew who is confined to the Warsaw ghetto during Nazi occupation of Poland. The percentage of Approved Tomatometer Critics who have given this movie a positive review. I will not describe what happens, but will observe that Polanski's direction of this scene, his use of pause and nuance, is masterful. Coming Soon, Regal The Pianist is a beautiful and extremely dark tale about a man and the struggle to survive. What it’s not is a particularly riveting one. ― Kirkus Reviews “ The Pianist is a book so fresh and vivid, so heartbreaking, and so simply and beautifully written, that it manages to tell us the story of horrendous events as if for the first time... an altogether unforgettable book. 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 The story is shockingly realistic, which makes it all the more disturbing. drama, And while there is nothing inherently wrong with this approach, The Pianist doesn't reverberate quite as emotively as other films set during the Holocaust. Warsaw, 1939. I finally broke down and rented this movie and I am so glad that I did. Adrien Brody and Thomas Kretschmann give tremendously haunting performances in Roman Polanski's The Pianist. Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. Please click the link below to receive your verification email. Republished in the 1990s, it caught Polanski's attention and resulted in this film, which refuses to turn Szpilman's survival into a triumph and records it primarily as the story of a witness who was there, saw, and remembers. ” ― The Daily Telegraph It is based on the autobiographical book The Pianist (1946), a Holocaust memoir by the Polish-Jewish pianist and composer Władysław Szpilman, a Holocaust survivor. As an instrument of conviction and instruction, however, it parallels the path taken by Saving Private Ryan and Schindler’s List. | Rating: 3/4 He wants us to survive. Since Simply Piano usesyour device’s micto recognize notes, you can use a digital piano, acoustic pia… May 06, 2009. If you're looking for a piano with excellent playability … And with The Pianist he certainly doesn’t hold back from portraying the cruelty and mindless depravity of the German soldiers. Szpilman is forced into the Warsaw Ghetto, but is later separated from his family during Operation Reinhard. While the film itself may not live up to the advance hype, Brody exceeds expectations. From this time until the concentration camp prisoners are released, Szpilman hides in various locations among the ruins of Warsaw. It is a beautiful story about the will to survive even under the most desperate times. He wandered Krakow and Warsaw, a frightened child, cared for by the kindness of strangers. In this respect Tim Blake Nelson's "The Grey Zone" (2001) is tougher and more honest, by showing Jews trapped within a Nazi system that removed the possibility of moral choice. It you tickle us, do we not laugh? Unlike many other online piano courses, Simply Piano is not compatiblewith computers, so you will need a mobile device or tablet. There's almost no emphasis, no point of view. Israeli pianist Shira Legmann sustains complementary focuses upon the micro and macro dimensions of these pieces, using continuous, minute differentiation of attack to … Parents need to know that The Piano is a complex adult drama with sexual relationships driving its plot. The Question and Answer section for The Pianist is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel. Copyright © Fandango. Szpilman is forced into the Warsaw Ghetto, but is later separated from his family during Operation Reinhard. The title is an understatement, and so is the film. Just confirm how you got your ticket. George is shown fully nude from the front in the beginning of a sex scene between him and Ada. In this adaptation of the autobiography "The Pianist: The Extraordinary True Story of One Man's Survival in Warsaw, 1939-1945," Wladyslaw Szpilman (Adrien Brody), a Polish Jewish radio station pianist, sees Warsaw change gradually as World War II begins. Casio CTK2400 61- Key Portable Keyboard. The Pianist from Syria is a true account of pianist Aeham Ahmad, a second generation refugee. It does not. How Does "The Departed" Rank Among Oscar’s Best? After the war, we learn, Szpilman remained in Warsaw and worked all of his life as a pianist. 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. And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge?". Get the freshest reviews, news, and more delivered right to your inbox! Polanski himself is a Holocaust survivor, saved at one point when his father pushed him through the barbed wire of a camp. I’m sure it won’t come as a shock that you also need a piano. On giant sets he recreates a street overlooked by the apartment where Szpilman is hidden by sympathizers; from his high window the pianist can see the walls of the ghetto, and make inferences about the war, based on the comings and goings at the hospital across the street. |, March 22, 2006 Coming Soon. | Rating: A-, February 21, 2003 If you prick us, do we not bleed? Overall, a great film. and the Terms and Policies, If you poison us, do we not die? You'll see what I mean. The fact that the director never once caves into easy sentiment or cheap hectoring is almost as amazing as the story itself. | Top Critics (49) Just below that it reads "Ticket Confirmation#:" followed by a 10-digit number. |, August 13, 2020 This 10-digit number is your confirmation number. In conclusion, The Pianist features a haunting central performance by Adrien Brody, and despite it's length and a familiar shell story, this is told differently and is more emotionally involving than other films of this subject matter. If you poison us, do we not die? It's good but too disturbing for a second viewing. | Rating: 5/5 The Pianist Despite winning the Palme d'Or at Cannes, Polanski's Holocaust movie didn't get half the attention given to Spielberg's or Roberto Benigni's. By opting to have your ticket verified for this movie, you are allowing us to check the email address associated with your Rotten Tomatoes account against an email address associated with a Fandango ticket purchase for the same movie. Well-acted and dramatically moving, The Pianist is Polanski's best work in years. If you’re … Forgot your password? R oman Polanski's heartfelt and high-minded Holocaust movie - based on the true-life memoir of Polish pianist Wladyslaw Szpilman - arrives garlanded with the Cannes Palme d'Or and a … I have read the reviews for The Pianist and while some of them claimed that the movie was amazing. An aging musician revisits the love affair he had nearly 50 years earlier with the illustrious pianist Vladimir Horowitz. They won't be able to see your review if you only submit your rating. Almost all of the Jews involved in the Holocaust were killed, so all of the survivor stories misrepresent the actual event by supplying an atypical ending. Don’t worry, it won’t take long. Your AMC Ticket Confirmation# can be found in your order confirmation email. All Critics (182) |, March 14, 2003 The loneliness, guilt and impotence on Brody's face is haunting. As “entertainment,” The Pianist is an utter failure. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism. The Pianist Critics Consensus. Adrien Brody is haunting and gives what I consider to be one of the best performances I have ever seen. Your Ticket Confirmation # is located under the header in your email that reads "Your Ticket Reservation Details". Szpilman's family was prosperous and seemingly secure, and his immediate reaction was, "I'm not going anywhere." The film was shot in Poland (where he had not worked since his first feature film, "Knife in the Water," in 1962), and also in Prague and in a German studio. Price: £2,289 | Buy now from Gear4Music. Whilst it is probably easily the best that the movie has ever looked, the image quality is not quite perfect. |. Well, that's what we have to believe. It's length and use of minimalist music may prove too boring or non-dramatic for some, but the Chopin interspersed throughout gave it more than an actual score could. That he survived was not a victory when all whom he loved died; Polanski, in talking about his own experiences, has said that the death of his mother in the gas chambers remains so hurtful that only his own death will bring closure. The Question and Answer section for The Pianist is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel. Wilm Hosenfeld, Celebrate The HistoryMakers 20@2020: 20 Days and 20 Nights Streams Online Through December 20th, The Mandalorian Chapter 15 Recap: Those Poor Mudscuffers, The Godfather Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone. | Fresh (173) The acting is great, and the cinematography is gritty yet beautiful. First, you’ll need to download the Simply Piano app. It you tickle us, do we not laugh? 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. Rated R [I]t takes six or seven people to keep one half-dead Jew alive.... Wladyslaw's situation is extraordinary but what's happening on screen doesn't really feel so extraordinary. It's Will back again and today's review is the 2002 historical drama film "The Pianist". |, February 1, 2009 history. Audience Reviews for The Pianist. His family takes heart from reports that England and France have declared war; surely the Nazis will soon be defeated and life will return to normal. Szpilman is safe enough here for a time, but hungry, lonely, sick and afraid, and then a bomb falls and he discovers with terror that the running water no longer works. Still, The Pianist is an excellent film. I just didn't want to pay $3.99 to watch a movie when I can get several for free using my prime membership. We want to hear what you have to say but need to verify your email. I recommend a tablet, since the larger screen is easier on the eyes while practicing. We want to hear what you have to say but need to verify your account. Music Review: Pianist Khatia Buniatishvili – ‘Labyrinth’ The introspective new album from the French-Georgian pianist is a collage of short pieces spanning the centuries. December 28, 2010 |, August 1, 2003 The Pianist comes to Blu-ray with a 1080p High Definition video presentation in the movie’s original theatrical aspect ratio of widescreen 1.85:1. as Capt. Erika Kohut is a piano teacher at the prestigious and formal Vienna Conservatory, who still lives with her domineering and possessive mother. Well, yes, some did, but most did not and--here is the crucial point--most could not. Please reference “Error Code 2121” when contacting customer service. Listen with a glass of wine of two. The percentage of users who rated this 3.5 stars or higher. 10/10 Roman Polanski's "The Pianist" tells the story of a Polish Jew, a classical musician, who survived the Holocaust through stoicism and good luck. We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future. Cinemark And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge? Sidney Poitier’s 7 Most Memorable Performances, All Harry Potter Movies Ranked Worst to Best by Tomatometer. The film is based on the autobiography of Wladyslaw Szpilman, who was playing Chopin on a Warsaw radio station when the first German bombs fell. The true story of pianist Władysław Szpilman's experiences in Warsaw during the Nazi occupation. His performance is extraordinary. Thank God, not me. Please enter your email address and we will email you a new password. Coming Soon. |, July 4, 2007 Not a celebration of the human spirit, neither demonizing the Germans nor lionizing the Jews, resisting both deceptive moral uplift and despairing moral nihilism, The Pianist is a work of exquisite restraint. Indeed, it is grotesque, gory, frightening and obscene. Perhaps that impassive quality reflects what Polanski wants to say. The real value here can be found in director Roman Polanski's haunting, harrowing tribute to the uniquely human instinct for survival. Sign up here. Undoubtedly a great movie, but somehow doesn't feel quite as reverent as other pieces--if you've ever read anything about Polanski's life, The Pianist feels autobiographical, focusing largely on one man's journey instead of the plight of a people. The ending is so powerful and moving to know that sometimes one man can make a difference in a crowd of so many and I'm not talking about Adrien Brody's character. Often their buried message is that by courage and daring, these heroes saved themselves. |, February 9, 2006 When the Jews of the city find themselves forced into a ghetto, Szpilman finds work playing in a café; and when his family is deported in 1942, he stays behind, works for a while as a laborer, and eventually goes into hiding in the ruins of the war-torn city. There have been other films dealing with the Jewish ghettos during the Nazi occupation of Poland -- some very good -- but The Pianist, the latest feature from Roman Polanski, may be the best. It tells a story of love and fierce pride, and places it on a bleak New Zealand coast where people live rudely in the rain and mud, struggling to maintain the appearance of the European society they've left behind. We sense that his Szpilman is a man who came early and seriously to music, knows he is good, and has a certain aloofness to life around him. Sounds like a recipe for disaster. Verified reviews are considered more trustworthy by fellow moviegoers. Roman Polanski's "The Pianist" is the director's finest achievement, and elevates Adrien Brody (Oscar win for Best Actor 2002) to eminence in his representation of Wladyslaw Szpilman, a Polish Jew who survived the Nazi occupation of Warsaw. 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