MULTIMEDIA REFLECTION 2

THE PIANIST

    I like to watch movies both as a pastime activity and a way of being a person of general information. My particular interest is for historical movies and among these movies, The Pianist has a special meaning and value for me. I would like to enlighten my friends about this masterpiece which evokes striking feelings and pushes people to think about the bloody history of racial and religious segregation. The film is adapted from the book ‘ Death of a City’ and is based on a true story. The Pianist tells the story of a Jewish musician, a very brilliant pianist in Poland, who experienced very harsh and unbearable events throughout the German invasion of Poland. The main character is Wladyslaw Szpilman, who lives in Warsaw  with his family in the course of inhumane implementations on Jews by the Nazi Germany. Polish Jews are exposed to persecution, forced to leave their homes,deported to ghettos ,which is separated from others by walls, and sent to death camps as the final step. After being deported to a ghetto, Wladek ( Wladysalw Szpilman) is obliged to quit his job and he and his brother try to make some money to meet their  family’s basic needs such as eating, accomodation by selling books.Unfortunately, he is under the necessity of selling his piano. A friend offers him a job in the Jewish police force which is in charge of regulating the ghetto; however, he declines the offer, because he is against violence and has the spirit of an artist. While people in the ghetto were being taken to extermination camps in a mass, including Wladek and his family, one of Wladek’s close friends, who was an official in the Jewish police force, saved his life. He had to hide as a refugee under harsh conditions until the oppression and invasion was over. He managed to sustain his life despite all the difficulties he faced.

   The leading man , Wladyslaw Szpilman, is portrayed by Adrien Brody. The film is a co-production between Poland, France, Germany and the United Kingdom. It is directed by Roman Polanski and written by Ronald Harwood. The movie is praised by critics with admiration, and received many awards and nominations. The film was awarded the Palme d'Or at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival; Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Actor at the 75th Academy Awards; BAFTA Award for Best Film, Best Direction in 2003 and seven French Césars including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor. I strongly recommend everyone to watch this masterpiece.

         

                                                         VIDEO REFLECTION

This part of the movie is a very impressing one. It is the moment of emancipation from all the terrible and heart rending events that Wladek went through. I was deeply scared by the idea that he would not make it through after  all those things he suffered from. Wladek's helplessness turns into a hopeful anticipation for a better future with a miserable smile on his face when he hears the sound of a car with the National Polish Anthem.He gets curious and gets out to see what is going on. When he sees the people going around freely after such a long time, he attempts to go towards those people and try to hug them in an affectionate manner; however, those people think that he is a German because of the coat on him. Polish Officers fire their guns to shoot him, luckily, he manages to make his voice audible and tells them he is a Polish. When the officers ask him  why he wore that coat, he answers ‘ I AM COLD’. This is the moment when everyone who watched the film, including me, burst into tears.