The pianist - A review

For a long time I was under impression that cinema is a medium that makes us happy and that just entertains. This was untill I watched a movie called Varumain Neeram Sivappu . After watching that master piece, My outlook towards cinema has transformed. An art form where a creator has the license to present a motley of emotions to novice viewers to experience his inner most fears and absolute bliss, cinema is a powerful tool indeed. Unlike books this has a profound impact in a very short time. Reading a novel gives you a completely different experience than watching a scene unfold on the screen. When used intelligently cinema can disturb you, lingering long after you have finished viewing. Such a wonderful tale that is powerful enough move even a solid rock is a masterpiece called "The pianist". The protagonist in the movie, one incredible Mr.Władysław Szpilman is neither a man of celestial brawn nor cognitive ability. He is an average human being living an average life who was forced to through an extraordinary ordeal for no fault of his.

Before watching it for the first time I was under the impression that is going a movie about an altruistic surperhuman who made a telling contribution in saving several lives or something melodramatic about the supreme sacrifices during the the Warsaw uprising against the Germans like many of the movies about holocaust. But how wrong I was. I went through a journey that can be hardly put into words. The pianist is a man whom we can relate to. We share his insecurities, fear, patriotism, and almost every other feeling.

Directed by Roman Polanski, it describes the life of a Jewish pianist from 1939 to 1945. As viewer you coast along with him who has been reduced to fight for his most basic of the needs - the right to be alive. Germany gains control over Poland in 1939. The Germans start the ethnic cleansing against the jews gradually. The pace at which the dread of the situation creeps into the people is brilliant. Hopeful of seeing light at the end Szpilman and his family try to remain calm most of the time. The Germans slowly instill dread into the polish and Warsaw is made a living hell for the Jews around. The pace at which their life deteriorates is insane to say the least. Arguably from 15 to 50 min in the movie is the most depressing I have ever seen. Its definitely not for the faint hearted. You as a viewer actually live with the protagonist for those 35 minutes and see your family drift out of the face of the earth for ever. Getting back to the story, Szpilman luckily evades the extermination camp, ends up in a german construction site. He volunteers in an uprising against the Germans and he helps in smuggling arms. Almost getting caught at one point, he escapes during the uprising. Long story short, the rest is the tale of his survival.

Adrien Brody as the pianist who is motivated by the most primal of the need - to sustain and survive, gives an incredibly moving performance. He got a deserved oscar for this portrayal. Brody captures the character's desperation, his anger and grief, his willpower and perseverance, his passion and love of music. In latter part of the movie you can really understand why human beings are called "Social animals". The director gives us the chance to know his shock and disbelief, his ordeal and tragedy, his hope to be alive at the end. The actors who play his family are apt and realistic. The haunting background score and the brilliant use of silence as a means to convey expressions, escalates the film viewing and makes the audience become part of the struggle. I was watching this movie alone and suddenly I wanted to be around my friends and family. I was very thankful that I live in a free society. India got independence on 15th August 1947. I have not been more grateful for that.

Special mention should go to the Director of the movie Roman Polanski. The fact that he was a survivor of the holocaust makes it more personal for him. And he does a brilliant job. At no point the movie is melodramatic or instils patriotism. In no place he takes a stand. He just depects the facts and accurate facts. He brings in a compelling aura into the narration. And deservedly both Polanski and Brody won Oscar for this work. Towards the end the Russian soldiers almost kill szpilman because he was wearing a German overcoat. Where quizzed being polish why he was wearing that, he just replies "I am cold". Simply Brilliant. For 150 minutes I was spellbound and finished off with a heavy heart. Arguably one of the best movies ever made. Try it out for sure If have not watched it already.