If you are an ardent fan of Roman Polanski or if you like seeing the Nazis killing anything and everything that moves on the silver screen, then you would probably like The Pianist. I didn't.
The Pianist is a movie about the personal plight of a pianist, during the times of the destruction of the Warsaw ghetto in World War II. Wladyslaw Szpilman, who is the protagonist, is like a feather, floating, drifting aimlessly throughout the movie. Through his eyes we see the horrors of the war, the merciless killing of the Jews by the Nazis, through him we touch the lives of thousands others that he meets in his journey.
While watching the movie, the first thing that question that arose in my mind is, why is this movie called the pianist? Is it because the protagonist of the movie was to be projected as a brilliant musician? If that's the case then I must say that Roman Polanski has failed miserably because we hardly get to see Adrien Brody, who plays the character of Szpilman, play a piano only a couple of times in the movie. And if just by playing Chopin, a pianist becomes exceptional then I am sure this world is crowded with such characters.
Secondly, I don't see how the character of Szpilman evoke any emotion of sympathy within the heart of the audience. Throughout the movie, the character of Szpilman maintains an almost blank, dispassionate demeanor. I am not asking him to be an Aldo Raine, but the character lacks any sign of strength, be it physical or emotional. He does not even makes peep, but rather runs away in the face of eminent death of his family! Would anyone really like to vouch for such a protagonist, let alone such a hero? Not me. The Pianist completely lacks those personal moments that makes an audience identify themselves with its character.
I believe Polanski thought that a true story is enough reason to make it an interesting one. Polanski wanted to make this movie with an emotional distance, but I guess that's what makes this movies lack a strong character. Just like Alex Sandell (The Juicy Cerebellum) puts it:
Roman Polanski directs The Pianist like a surgeon mends a broken heart; very meticulously but without any passion.
I guess those words almost sums up The Pianist. It's very un-Polanski, very very un-Polanksi.
[Picture Courtesy: Britannica]
