Whilst enjoying the fruitage of my insomnia I look through the movie listings on Foxtel and I see The Pianist. Oh how excited I am! But it starts at 3:05am...RECORD THAT MOTHER FLIPPER!!
A brilliant Polish Jew pianist, [ha-ha sounds like penis...] Władysław Szpilman (Adrien Brody) witnesses the restrictions Nazis place on Jews in the Polish capital, from controlled access, to the building of the Warsaw ghetto. As his family is rounded up to be shipped off to the Nazi labour camps, he escapes deportation and eludes capture by living in the ruins of Warsaw.
Szpilman's experiences as a persecuted Jew in Poland during World War II were reminiscent of Polanski and his family. While Szpilman and Polanski escaped the concentration camps, their families did not, eventually perishing.
NOTE: Try not to be distracted by Adrien Brody’s HUGE nose. I’m pretty sure at parts I could see the flag Sir Edmund Hillary planted on top of it. But all that aside he is a fantastically dedicated actor. In order to connect with the feeling of loss required to play the role, Brody got rid of his apartment, sold his car, and didn't watch television. He also lost 14 kg (31 lb) for the role...like he wasn’t skin and bones already!
This film while hard to watch at times does not hold back whilst showing the persecution of Jews by Nazi scum. Incredibly graphic at parts...yes I had to turn my face from the screen...the violence will shock and anger you. Inwardly I found myself being worked up to the point where I had to leave the room and make myself some noodles. Mmmm noddles.
This is not just another holocaust film where the main character is persecuted and oppressed until he can’t take it anymore and fights back. No, instead we find the main character merely surviving. Taking every opportunity he gets to stay alive...with a little bit of pure luck thrown in there too.
Music was his passion. Survival was his masterpiece.
No comments:
Post a Comment