Comments on: The Pianist (2002)

By: Anthony

Anthony — Sun, 08 Jan 2006 09:58:13 +0000

I second Kalliope’s question. Will someone PLEASE find out what is the piece that Adrien Brody was playing when he was working in the restaurant?? That piece is not in the soundtrack (and it really should be). If anyone knows please post! Thanks.

By: arjan

arjan — Sat, 02 Jul 2005 09:51:49 +0000

All I know right now is that he’s playing the nocturne in C# minor (posth) at the beginning and the Ballad in G Minor (opus 23) to the german officer in the house… will get into the other piece

By: Kalliope

Kalliope — Fri, 01 Jul 2005 14:20:07 +0000

Hello, I’m an avid fan of Chopin and an amateure pianist. If somebody know, it would be a great help for me. I m anxious to know what is the piece that Adrien Brody is interpreting as a working pianist in the restaurant when he is stopped by the man he wants to test the coins. It’s a piece that soundtrack doesn’t contain. If somebody has recognise it, please inform me!

By: denise

denise — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

As a Polish Jew and holocaust survivor, Polanski brings an important cinematic perspective to this story. Yes, this genre of film is difficult to watch, that’s why it’s so important for us to see it. To look at our selves and confront the human capacity for cruelty and hopefully learn the lesson through constant vigilance, so that such things will never happen again. Unfortunately it still does happen.

Native New Yorker and son of photojournalist, Sylvia Plachy, Adrian Brody is a terrific actor and if you are interested in seeing some other great performances by him check out:

Spike Lee’s “Summer of Sam (1999)”
The Thin Red Line (1998)
New York Stories (1989)

By: pip

pip — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

I also thought this film was a great film though Schindler’s List is still the defining Holocaust film for me – especially with its incredibly moving ending putting it into present-day context.

I also thought The Pianist dragged on a bit but I agree too it did convey that sense of ‘will this ever end?’. I also found it interesting that it focused on the ghetto/occupation rather than the concentration camps.

And being a huge Chopin fan I also particularly loved the scenes where Szpilman played.

I’ve just watched a French-Dutch documentary which you might like when you’re back in Holland, Suz. It’s called Bach in Auschwitz (1999) and is about the women’s orchestra that was in the camp, under the baton of Alma Ros’, Mahler’s niece.

I’m researching Ros’ for an article so watching stuff of this nature. Very sad of course but well worth seeing.

By: reisneus

reisneus — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

And of course ‘Shoah’, by Claude Lanzmann. Almost 10 hours of heartbreak. Dramatised, but a brilliant document.

By: damian

damian — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

It’s easy to understand why the Pianist recieved so much attention and there’s no denying that it is a superbly well made, personal and emotional film. The problem I had with it is, no matter how good Adrien Brody is, and he is superb, he’s just an observer. Of course that’s how Szpilman survived, by staying hidden and detatching himselff rom what’s going on around him, but for a character in a movie, and in particular a main protaganist, the one person we’re supposed to be rooting for – the distance he seems to hold from all the events seems to dilute the effects somewhat. Polanski must be praised for his straight faced approach – there’s no Spielberg like cinematic tug at the heartstrings here, no sentimentality, but it’s a film that would find myself hard pressed to return too. The imagery is truly haunting and the events described throughout are truly brutal and harrowing, but it feels more like a snapshot of history, almost a history lesson because the narrative isn’t that strong.

By: Arjan

Arjan — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

I am totally awestruck by this movie. I only have seen it once but it has scourged by soul but in a good way. The scenes in which we see Adrien Brody alone are so impressive… and I am a pianist myself (although far from able to play most pieces played in this movie – although this movie taught me to play the Nocturne in C#m by Chopin where the movie starts off with interrupted by the bombing).

What was an extra feature for me is the fact I am a huge fan of the music by Chopin and the piece Brody plays for the German officer that eventually saves his life is one of my favorite pieces (too bad the second of the two main gorgeous themes isn’t played – for your information the piece is called Ballad in G minor opus 23 by Chopin)

By: Paco

Paco — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

I agree with Damian comment. I found it sometimes difficult to sympathise for Brody’s character as his survival seems to exist solely of detaching himself from the events around him. You want him to get mad, angry, vengeful (his whole family is wipes out!) but he seems lethargic and awestruck.

It was somewhat annoying but very intriguing at teh same time. It shows that man will do anything to survive, even deny his own existence.

I really loved the scene where he played for the German officer. The combination of all that emotion and fantastic music (always a good combination) realy brought a lump to my troath. One point of critique is the somewhat rushed ending, which collided very much with the general slow pace of the entire movie.