The Pianist

A true story of day-by-day Holocaust survival, The Pianist is a labor of passion on the part of Oscar winner Roman Polanski (who as a child escaped German-occupied Cracow); a monument to those who persevered through the Nazi onslaught and a memorial to those who could not. It's the story of Wladyslaw Szpilman, a composer and musician who eluded deportation to concentration camps in 1942 by hiding in the ghetto even as it was emptied by German soldiers, later became a laborer while the Nazi's had use for slaves, and ultimately escaped and witnessed--while starving and wracked with guilt--the month-long Warsaw uprising from empty apartments where he was concealed by sympathizers. It's a film whose every moment bristles with the weight of these events on Szpilman's psyche, thanks to a devastating performance by Academy Award winner Adrien Brody, whose portrayal of Szpilman's walking-wounded state of shock permeates the film in a way that sneaks into the senses and rattles the soul. Highly recommended. [Note: DVD extras include the 40-minute documentary “A Story of Survival” (featuring behind-the-scenes footage; interviews with Polanski, Brody, and screenwriter Ronald Harwood; and clips of Szpilman playing the piano), cast and filmmaker bios, text production notes, a soundtrack spot and a trailer. Bottom line: a solid extras package for one of 2002's best.] (R. Blackwelder)