Roman Polanski 's Film, The Pianist

Vladek is depicted as a hero who shows countless acts of selflessness and generosity and a villain who is, “opinionated, tight-fisted, and self-involved”. (Brown 6) Art Spiegelman’s book Maus, tells the story of how Vladek and Anja Spiegelman survived the Holocaust. Spiegelman illustrates Vladek as a man who single-handily saved his family from starvation and Auschwitz in World War I. During Spiegelman’s interviews, we get an idea of Vladek’s darker side since the war ended. Mala to speak of her astonishment and disgust in Vladek’s character. Which leaves us to question how truthfully these stories are being told. In the end, Vladek’s unsuccessful heroism is a constant reminder of his failure; survival with Anja was always easier, after her death, Vladek pushes everyone away with his “guilt and manipulation” (Brown 7)

When one loses someone or something valuable to them, the grief can be intense. But what happens when what they lose is actually a piece of them? Novels depicting a witness account of The Holocaust (1941 - 1945) paint a picture of the violence and moral anguish, which is accompanied by a loss to the protagonist. The plot shows a process of events that ultimately leads to death and devastation. Both protagonists in Elie Wiesel’s Night and Wladyslaw Szpilman’s The Pianist gradually fall into the abyss of inhumane behaviour. Post Holocaust, they embark on a new life free from social restraints and become either unmindful or compliant to the losses they faced on their journey. Elie and Wladyslaw

In Maus the main character is young son named Artie. His father Vladek survived the concentration camp and he also shows compassion towards his father on his unbelievable will to survive. The Pianist” is a little different. In it the main

Wladyslaw Szpilman was a pianist for a radio station during the beginning of the Second World War in the Fall of 1939. Living in Warsaw at the time, it only took a few weeks until the German forces took full control over the city. Szpilman and his family decide to stay in Warsaw after hearing that the Allied forces (Great Britain) were joining the war against Germany. From that point on the conditions for Jews exponentially deteriorate, suffering caused by both the German forces and the Polish people. Under the Nazi regime, the Jewish people are exposed to many injustices. Polish businesses that once welcomed all, now strictly disallowed the Jewish people. As well as instances of German forces bullying the jewish community, Szpilman’s father was struck in the face by and German officer and told that he was forbidden to walk on the sidewalk. The Nazi control over Warsaw was the start to the horrors of the holocaust, caused by both the assault of the German forces and the acts of the Polish people under the Nazi

Many composers use various techniques in which they communicate the distinctly visual. John Misto’s ‘The Shoe-Horn Sonata’ and Alexander Kimel’s ‘The Action in the Ghetto of Rohatyn, March 1942’ represent significant issues in our world by using various literary and dramatic techniques. Through using these techniques it is evident that the composers of these texts allow the audience to ‘see’ with our eyes as well as with our minds. The many literary and dramatic techniques have the ability to create a visual that

As a child, Peter Fischl was subjected to harsh anti-Semitic laws, separated from his family, and sought refuge in southern California years after the end of the war where he stumbled across a photograph of the little Polish boy. The powerful impact the image had upon him inspired the composition of the poem four years after the occasion. Fischl conveys feelings of sorrow and regret as he recalls the inhumanity of society using symbolism, “Now will know/What fear is in/the darkness”.

“The Pianist” by Wladyslaw Spilman is a extraordianry story about a man’s survival in the holocaust in Warsaw, Poland. The book explains how Szpilman survives the holocaust in Poland by hiding, escaping, and with luck. Szpilman is important to society because he explains the following topics in his perspective for them not to happen again, religious discrimination, human rights, and punishment in crimes involving genocide. Many of the issues raised by the holocaust continue to have an impact on the world today.

"It was crying and praying. So long we survived. And now we waited only that they shoot, because we had not else to do" (267). This quote from the end of the novel ironically describes what the Jewish people endured after the concentration camps. Vladek Spieglman among other suffered through traumatic experiences; though Vladek certainly did survive the holocaust, old Vladek did not. Post-Holocaust it is revealed by Spieglman that his father, Vladek, develops two personalities—before and after the concentration camps. Vladek’s post-holocaust life was haunted by the horrors he witnessed while being in the concentration camps; he went from a young, handsome resourceful man to a miserable, old man who does nothing but complain.

In the short story “The Key Game” the author appeals to the readers’ sense of emotion (pathos) because of the in-depth description of the Jewish family’s unfortunate living arrangements, and because of the method the author uses to explain the various character descriptions, emotions, and dialog throughout the story. This story takes place at some point during the Second World War. The author, Ida Fink, introduces the reader to a small Jewish family consisting of a wife, husband, and their three year old son. They live in a small apartment which she describes as poor, urban, and gloomy. The situation with the war can be shown with the frequent changes in apartments. The purpose of the story is in a “game” made by the parents to prepare the child for his reaction in case the Germans ever come knocking at the door. The author introduces the emotion in this story from the very beginning, when she starts to describe where the story takes place.

The Pianist is a movie that shows the life of one man, Wladyslaw Szpilman who was a popular Jewish Pole radio station pianist. In the World War II which is a background of the movie, How Szpilman suffered and how he survived are presented in the movie. While the movie portrays Szpilman’s life, it also shows how the Jewish people are dehumanized by Nazi during the war. The director, Roman Polanski, successfully uses camera angle, lighting and plot structure, and characterization to present the theme of dehumanization.

‘The Pianist’ is a cinematic masterpiece by the Polish director Roman Polanski. One of the key ideas that appear throughout much of the film is that of ‘hope being instrumental in our survival’. This idea is portrayed through Wladyslaw Szpilman, a Polish pianist, as he struggles for survival in Warsaw as everybody that he once knew and everything that he once had is lost. The idea of ‘hope being instrumental in our survival’ is worth learning about as it allows the audience to realise the importance of hope in todays society – and to understand how Polanski uses music to symbolise ‘hope’ for Szpilman in the film. Polanski effectively utilises an array of visual and oral text features such as music, dialogue, and lighting to build further

The holocaust has effected more lives than anybody could imagine, the tragedy has not only affected those who were there or primarily affected but those of every generation to come after that. This illustrated by Art and Vladek’s inability to get along, Vladek’s personality quirks, Anja’s suicide, Art’s guilt, are all factors that contributed to the rocky family relationship the Spieglemans had, and are all due to the horrors of the holocaust. The horrors of which did not end when the Nazi’s were defeated in WW2, rather continuing to have an impact on further generations, in which all of their stories will never be

‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’ (Wes Anderson, 2014) combines a perfect mix of nostalgia and history. The film explores the themes of war as it recreates history through mise-en-scene. Anderson also incorporates other themes such as racism and elitism during pre-war Europe. The film widely explores Europe from many viewpoints, one of which is of Mr Moustafa. His nostalgia is seen through flashbacks of when he was a lobby boy that went by the name of Zero. As an audience the depth of his nostalgia is seen through mise-en-scene. With the help of cinematography and props we see can see the time and place that Moustafa acknowledges. Anderson shows how history is reimagined through ones nostalgia. Mr Moustafa recalls events, which he was not present in yet he explains them as if he were there. This also shows how one reimagines history from another due to emotions and personal attachment. Despite the outcome being the same there are many viewpoints it can be seen from.

An important aspect of polanski is the use of aural elements such as diegetic and nondiegetic sound of the piano playing which is a motif throughout the visual text as we see the same piece of music being played either by Szpilman himself or as background music the song is played in the beginning and also in the scene parallel to the scene where he encounters the german soldier. In the encounter with housefield the lack of verbalization where the music is the factor which determines Szpilman’s fate. Because Szpilman had such a passion for music that he would hold onto his whole life and this was the thing he would hold close to himself even when all his family was gone and when Szpilman begins playing the piano we

The camera tracks backwards as Szpilman walks towards us. It gives the audience the feeling that he is limping into our hands as if we are helping a poor elderly man. Then the camera tracks from right to left as we get the impression that he is searching for something. The director chooses to track his movements slowly to make the audience feel as if Szpilman is moving along in a fragile house just like himself. The camera tracks along showing the audience a full view of him showing us the little steps he is taking just to get to the other room. There is very low lighting in this scene which shows as if he is looking for something quietly without making noise. Szpilman then finds something on the floor, so he bends down and this is shown by tilting the camera down to a low angle. The director has chosen to do it this way because it makes it flow with Szpilman’s movements. Then the camera tracks and zooms into Szpilman walking into the next room. When Szpilman finds a tin opener and uses it the camera focuses on it even though it is a small object and not important. As Szpilman carries on trying to open it the camera is still focused on it. The director makes the audience focus on that repetitive movement of trying to open it but at the same time distracting them from the characters emotions if anything surprising happens.