Music is his Passion; Survival is his Masterpiece

THE PIANIST

The story of “THE PIANIST” directed by Roman Polanski is a very cathartic, gloomy, reflective, austere, poignant movie, which made a great impact to me especially the way German soldiers treat Jewish people.

The story of “THE PIANIST” tells us the struggles of the main protagonist – Wladislaw Szpilman who is a Polish Jew under Hitler’s colonization and overruling. He is an official pianist in a radio station in Poland. At the outbreak of the Second World War, however, Szpilman becomes subject to the anti-Jewish laws imposed by the conquering Germans. By the start of the 1940s, Szpilman has seen his world go from piano concert halls to the Jewish Ghetto of Warsaw and then must suffer the tragedy of his family deported to German concentration camps, while Szpilman is conscripted into a forced German Labor Compound. At last deciding to escape, Szpilman goes into hiding as a Jewish refugee where he is witness to the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising (April 19, 1943 – May 16, 1943) and the Warsaw Uprising (1 August to 2 October 1944)

Starving now, he had endured the torment (then destruction) of the Warsaw Ghetto. With none of his friends left to help, only his will kept him going. Then he met a German Wehrmacht officer, Wilm Hosenfeld (Thomas Kretschmann). A former teacher who had grown ashamed of Hitler’s policies, Hosenfeld had the power to end Szpilman’s life. Instead, he protected and helped him. Those acts of kindness were enough for the pianist to survive the war.

The movie depicts different types of crimes with regard to humanity and morality. Since the movie was illustrated during Hitler’s regime, those crimes are widely spread throughout the whole country of Poland. I was very affected of how German soldiers used their power and authority to manipulate, control and kill those Jewish people. The thing that I don’t understand is why do they need to murder all Jewish race? How they can take all the killings and atrociousness to Jewish people? Maybe because they are feared of what might happen if they did not pay homage to their leaders? In fact, both soldiers and Jewish people have no other choice but to follow. If they won’t, either their commanding officer will fire the soldiers or if the Jewish people will disobey, they will also be killed.

Morality on the one hand, is not big deal in the movie. Instead, brutality and crimes against humanity are the things that were illustrated in the movie. It also depicts the famous Holocaust, which was the worst mass killing ever happen in the history. Furthermore, German soldiers are like a puppet toy that when they want to kill a person, they will kill them without any second thought. How merciless they are. Even children, men, women, older people, and those people with disabilities too, they shot them as if they were hunting animals in the forest. Those acts of brutality only mean that people during that regime were indeed, immoral and have no care about human rights and proper ethics.

Though there were many negative sides of the story, there were also some parts of the movie that I like the most. What I admire about the movie was the way Wladislaw (the pianist) value his family. I know it was very complicated for him of how he can save his family from danger during that time. Still, Wladislaw manage to keep his hope and determination to survive. He showed his unfailing love for his parent and siblings until the last minute they were together as a family.

Moreover, the best part that I’ve seen in the movie was when Wladislaw was hiding in an abandoned building where he met a German General named Wilm Hosenfeld. To prove to Hosenfeld that he is a pianist, he plays a somber and brief rendition of Chopin’s “Ballade in G Minor” the first time he has played since he worked in the Jewish ghetto years before. Hosenfeld, moved by Szpilman’s playing, helps him survive; allowing him to continue hiding in the attic even after the house is established as the Captain’s headquarters. Hosenfeld eventually abandons the house with his staff when the Russian army draws closer to Warsaw. Hosenfeld gives Wladek a final parcel of food and his overcoat. He asks Wladek his surname, which sounds exactly like “spielmann”, the German word for pianist. Hosenfeld promises to listen for Wladek on the radio.

On that scenario, I realized that even in the worst state of your life, there are still people who have kind heart to care for you. What he did to Wladek was the greatest act he has done; protect a soul from suffering, the kindness that gave Wladek hope to pursue his life. At the end, the movie leave a special message to the viewers, “Man can be destroyed but not defeated.” Though Mr. Hosenfeld was destroyed and captured in his battle, the kindness he did to Wladek will not be forgotten. In addition, Wladek, in all his struggles, hardships he faced, he was able to survive through his courage, determination, and hope. He remains positive in his situation that results to positive outcome – a new start for his life …