The Pianist (2002)

The Pianist

• This was powerful. I’ve seen a lot of really good WWII media, and this one easily lands its way up there. This is one of the best movies that really puts you in the character's perspective. By the end of the movie, you walk away feeling like you were a part of everything. Obviously, you weren’t, but Adrien Brody brings a performance that makes you feel like you were. Once the movie finished, I felt mentally drained, and not in a bad way. The content of this movie is depressing and eye opening, so you don’t leave feeling happy or anything. It impacts you heavily, so you feel tired and worn. Does that make sense? It makes sense in my head, hopefully it does to you. It leaves you with the same feeling that ‘Band of Brothers’ does. You know that you’ve learnt something, both tragic but educational and intriguing. That’s about all I can say if you haven’t seen this. It’s one you need to sit through so you can really understand the meaning behind the movie. I will say that I definitely felt the runtime, but I think it was necessary that this movie be as long as it is. The plot is based on the real life Jewish survivor, Wladyslaw Szpilman. It’s all about his survival during the Nazi’s cruel takeover. It’s a simple story of a simple man, but a story that deserved to be told in this way. As stated before, Adrien Brody brings his most infamous performance, and one that has certainly gone down in history. His physical and mental deterioration and recovery was very interesting to watch. You learn so much from that one man. There’s a lot more I could say, but I’ll leave it to you to watch this and understand the journey that Szpilman had to endure. If you like WWII or drama’s, then this is definitely for you. This film is officially Berry Approved, so go check it out now!