03. THE PIANIST (2002)
Roman Polanskis gritty film about the Warsaw ghetto built by the Germans, is a film thats gut-wrenchingly affecting.
Adrien Brody is exceptional as Wladysaw Szpilman, a talented musician who struggles to survive in the ghettos in his attempts to elude extradition to a concentration camp. The Pianist is an incredibly haunting film that authentically captures the virulent life of the Jewish ghetto and how inhumane the Nazis actions were against such people. The film also shows the kindness of those sympathetic to Szpilman and other Jews, with their offerings of food and shelter: something that acts as a strong reminder that amidst all the evil, there remained those who fought against prejudice even when it was dangerous for them to do so. The Pianist has the unique aspect that Polanski himself was a survivor of the very ghetto featured in the narrative and this extremely personal touch has a reverent effect upon viewers: essentially its an extremely poignant and well crafted film that will touch viewers more deeply than could ever be expected.