The Composition of a Struggle to Survive (The Pianist (DVD))

Member Name: Ayesha-`

Product:	The Pianist (DVD)
Date:	08/09/09 (69 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A very deep, involving and moving story of one man's struggle to survive the war

Disadvantages: Not to be taken lightly - could be a disadvantage for some

I was hesitant about reviewing this film when I saw it, as I noted early on that it was similar to Schindler's list - in that it is set during the Second World War, shows some of the real horrors suffered, particularly by Jews and is both powerful and emotional. To review a film like this, I know I've got to be sensitive but honest, and given how well known films like these are, I would hate to miss anything particularly important. I'm going to give it a go anyway, and I will talk about the things that really stood out to me personally, whether or not that was the intention and whether or not they were significant to others, as that was my own view as a consumer.

I don't normally jump into recommending a film because I know people are all different in what they want out of films, but here I felt I had to say this really is a must-see, and hopefully my review explains why I feel this way.

Story

The film progresses from 1939 and the very start of the World War and Nazi invasion into Poland. Wladyslaw Szpilman is a well known Pianist, associated with other famous musicians and living a comfortable, rather than luxurious, life with his family. When the Nazis take occupation in Poland, however, bit by bit,their quality of life is diminished. First they are given limits to how much money they may hold, then they are forced to wear the Star of David on their clothes for identification and after this all Jews are forcibly moved into the ghettoes, or "Jewish Districts" as they are called. Finally, the worst happens, and Szpilman is separated from his own family when they are taken off to concentration camps, but he is spared by a Nazi that knows him. Now away from his family, he must find away to avoid the horrible ends that many other Jews around him suffer and struggles just to stay alive long enough to see the end of the War.

I've heard people talk about this film in the past, but I don't think I knew what to expect at all. I remembered the shock of watching Schindler's List for the first time, and although I still think that film was more hard-hitting, this one certainly had jaw-falling and eye-moistening moments. As much as I hate watching these kinds of films, I fully understand their importance. What happened during World War 2 must never be forgotten, and although films are acted out remakes based on what little information survived, they are probably as close as we will get to understanding. The Pianist does not throw you straight into the deep end, as I felt Schindler's List did, it shows you instead the deterioration over the war years, of life and of people. The film is long, but feels even longer, especially with all the hiding and waiting, by the end it is almost as though you have been watching the film for days. I wouldn't complain about this, because it does make this film that little bit closer to the past, where I imagine the war did feel like it was dragging on forever and people probably wondered whether they were going to make it through. Watching this film and thinking about the war, it feels like you are constantly hanging from this cliffedge, and if you could just hold out a bit longer you might be rescued.

Acting/Characters

At first I wasn't sure about the acting, but you forget that at the start of the war, nobody really knew what was coming, except of course the Nazis who planned it. So rather than scared, people were outraged, annoyed even, and trying to work out ways to get around these silly rules or even outright refuse to obey. The interesting thing about this film is that it shows how views changed, more from the point of view of Jews and their non-Jewish friends than the bad guys, and how they came to terms with what was happening to them.

Adrien Brody plays a very genuine character, both in his acting and appearance. In fact he phsyically loses a lot of weight in the duration of the film to the point where he does almost look ill for real. Obviously some of that will have come from make-up, but to actually lose that much weight shows real commitment. The transformation as shown in his acting is also rather dramatic, yet somehow it takes you by surprise. Brody doesn't just look the part, he really lives it.

Sadly, as it is at the centre of this movie at Wladyslaw Szpilman is someone struggling to survive when it seems he's lost everything to live for, this does mean that after a certain point he is separated from them, and so their roles are short. They do make an impact, however, during the first part of the film, as we see what a very ordinary family they were, all with different viewpoints of the War and lots of bickering over what to do, like with money that they argue over where to hide it. For much of the time we see the family they haven't quite realised the extent of what is happening to them, and so it was harder to know what to expect.

Dorota is a lady who knew Brody at the start of the war, and was also a musician, who hates what happens to the jews and tries what she can to support them. She is played by Emilia Fox, and gives us an insight into what it must have been like to be the near-helpless outsider looking in on this terrible situation, and all the things she tries to do to keep Wladyslaw Szpilman safe. She herself is not free from the bad things happening around her, but I think intently she holds back a lot. To be fair, the focus could not be too much on her, but also I guess she is being brave for her friend.

Film qualities

The scenes all look very real, from a 1930s Poland to the war-trodden remains of 1945. Whether or not there was much artificial interference, it certainly did not look it, or at least I didn't notice anything. That would probably have annoyed me, given how hard they have worked with keeping everything else as close to real as possible. Therefore I was really pleased with the overall appearance of the film. On the costume side of things, the change was a little more sudden and didn't quite fit so well to me. One minute they are walking around in the best clothes and suddenly they have all been swapped for clothes made from cheap materials. Admittedly some things - like a posh fur coat - might have been confiscated, and quality would deteriorate, but this was done too quickly and actually the clothes just changed completely for most of the other main characters. This doesn't apply so much to Szpilman, at least.

The best thing about the soundtrack was being able to actually use some incredible pieces, mostly piano solos and impliedly played by our main character. I won't go into the specifics of the accuracy of what songs were meant to have been played and when, but I think the film was close rather than exact. I have a feeling this was more to do with selecting the right music that would also have an effect on the audience. It really helped to set the scene and mood, whilst also reminding us now and then of Szpilman's former life. It is really elegant yet tragic. There is a particular piece that Szpilman plays nearer the end of the film, and it really is moving. Especially in the context. Every now and then I like to listen to more classical music, although it is something of a rarity for me, but this was an added bonus.

Classification

With a film like this, you would hope that as many people as possible would get a chance to see it. To some extent, I'd recognise that it is important to help people understand about these things from as young an age as possible so that they are brought up knowing it is wrong to treat others in this way whatever their difference may be. On the other hand, I saw Schindler's List at school, and it may have had an effect on me, mostly making me cry as we did not see the whole thing, mainly the massacres, but I know for a fact some of the people in that class still turned out horrible anyway. I suppose people need to be old enough to understand (we were 14) and not just to want to see a bit of violence. With The Pianist, however, the violence is even less of a focus and if, for instance, a school had tried to play just a snippet of this, it would have been harder to just leave people horrified with no understanding of what they just saw. The film is more about people helping the Pianist, and the Pianist helping himself to make it through alive, so it is more about determination and a will to survive in spite of the conditions - with the contrast of those less fortunate. There's also the contrast of people who appeared keen to help but clearly had their own personal motives, whether or not they let him down. Realising why selfishness is wrong is a more likely message to come out of this film than how people were killed etc. If there was any swearing, it didn't stick in my mind and was probably used in relevant places. Also unlike the other film, The Pianist doesn't appear to have any sexual scenes, which is good. The film is rated 15, and I have to agree with this rating. Especially since it could be shown in schools!

Conclusion

Since I have been making comparisons and references in my review, I may have to be a little brave here and admit that actually I preferred this film to Schindler's List. That is probably more a personal thing, but as I mention I think this film gets its message across just as well, and is also hard-hitting, yet not as strong on the violence. It is definitely a film to be taken seriously and is not something you would put on just for the sake of having something to watch or in hope of something entertaining.

This is the sort of film you would watch because you need to understand the events of the war and what it was like for the people at the time if only we can appreciate a fraction of what they went through. The horrors of World War 2 have affected people like nothing before, yet even today there is everything, from prejudice to mass killings, still going on. This film reminds us that we all have our individual talents and values and that these are worth the struggle to survive. It re-humanises the people who were not treated like people at all, yet forces us to see what it is to be treated as less.

Don't watch this film just for the sake of it, but set aside some time one day to see it, because you won't regret it. Whether you see it on telly or on DVD, I think you'll be glad you did.

Hope I've done it justice here, thanks for reading.

Summary: A very deep, involving and moving story of one man's struggle to survive the war