The Pianist

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  • Opened December 27, 2002 
  • 2 hr 28 min
  • R | Violence and Brief Strong Language
  • Parents: Common Sense Media says OK for kids 16+. More on child suitability

  • In this adaptation of the autobiography "The Pianist: The Extraordinary True Story of One Man's Survival in Warsaw, 1939-1945," Wladyslaw Szpilman (Adrien Brody), a Polish Jewish radio station pianist, sees Warsaw change gradually as World War II begins. Szpilman is forced into the Warsaw Ghetto, but is later separated from his family during Operation Reinhard. From this time until the concentration camp prisoners are released, Szpilman hides in various locations among the ruins of Warsaw. Full synopsis

  • Cast: Adrien Brody, Thomas Kretschmann, Frank Finlay, Maureen Lipman, Emilia Fox
  • Director: Roman Polanski
  • Genres: Drama

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Fan Reviews

Must Go!
Incredibly moving

by johnny4340

The movie was unlike any other and truly showed the holocaust from an average Jewish families point of view....

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Critic Reviews

100
San Francisco Chronicle
| Mick LaSalle

One of the great Holocaust films. Read full review

100
Boston Globe
| Ty Burr

There are three Poles in The Pianist -- Szpilman, Polanski, and Frederic Chopin. Of the three, fittingly, Chopin speaks the loudest. Read full review

100
Chicago Tribune
| Michael Wilmington

A great movie on a powerful, essential subject -- the Holocaust years in Poland -- directed with such artistry and skill that, as we watch, the barriers of the screen seem to melt away. Read full review

100
Baltimore Sun
| Michael Sragow

Roman Polanski's new movie may be the greatest historical film centered on an enigmatic character since Lawrence of Arabia. Read full review

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