Analysis of the Pianist

Use of light: •Gray is an important color in the movie: most of the movie is in gray •The movie started with showing some colorful scene, as the story progress, the dominant color become gray. •First sign of light and hope when the Nazis prepare to leave Warsaw shown by the first glimmer of sunlight •Same symbol in the scene that Szpilman plays for the German commander: light shining on the piano and the pianist, both representing hope -Put us into the protagonist’s perspective: Lack of close-up of what Szpilman is looking at, for instance from the window • In one scene, a bomb explodes nearby, and on the soundtrack we hear a high- pitched whistling that simulates what Szpilman is hearing. Polanski puts us into Szpilman’s room, then puts us into his head. -Use of light: •Gray is an important color in the movie: most of the movie is in gray •The movie started with showing some colorful scene, as the story progress, the dominant color become gray. First sign of light and hope when the Nazis prepare to leave Warsaw shown by the first glimmer of sunlight •Same symbol in the scene that Szpilman plays for the German commander: light shining on the piano and the pianist, both representing hope -Put us into the protagonist’s perspective: •Lack of close-up of what Szpilman is looking at, for instance from the window • In one scene, a bomb explodes nearby, and on the soundtrack we hear a high- pitched whistling that simulates what Szpilman is hearing. Polanski puts us into Szpilman’s room, then puts us into his head. Characters:

Wladyslaw Szpilman: a famous pianist. -He is very lucky: he survived holocaust and did not suffer too much from it. -Example of his luckiness: •When he was in the Jewish ghetto, his family didn’t die from starvation because he found a job. •He escaped from the concentration camp •He found people who are willing to help him and hide him •He met Captain Hosenfeld Characters: Wladyslaw Szpilman: a famous pianist. -He is very lucky: he survived holocaust and did not suffer too much from it. -Example of his luckiness: •When he was in the Jewish ghetto, his family didn’t die from starvation because he found a job. He escaped from the concentration camp •He found people who are willing to help him and hide him •He met Captain Hosenfeld Captain Wilm Hosenfeld: a German commander -person that actually makes the whole story special -Indeed, from the start of the movie until almost the end, the Germans were pictured as cruel and heartless monsters that kill and treat the Jews if they were animals. – Hosenfeld is the first German to show some human feelings toward a Jew. He is touched by Szpilman’s talent and passion and take risks to help him survive. He is a symbolic character because he is a Nazi that is capable of compassion. -It is telling us war is not completely black or white. People are not entirely good or bad. Captain Wilm Hosenfeld: a German commander -person that actually makes the whole story special -Indeed, from the start of the movie until almost the end, the Germans were pictured as cruel and heartless monsters that kill and treat the Jews if they were animals. –

Hosenfeld is the first German to show some human feelings toward a Jew. He is touched by Szpilman’s talent and passion and take risks to help him survive. He is a symbolic character because he is a Nazi that is capable of compassion. -It is telling us war is not completely black or white. People are not entirely good or bad. World War II: from 1939 to 194 -The triggering event of the Second World War: the invasion of Poland by Germany The progression of the anti-Semitic actions in Poland: -banishment of many Jews from going into different shops -Compulsion of the Jews to wear the Star of David -The ghetto and the concentration camps Music history: -all the pieces that Wladyslaw plays are composed by Chopin World War II: from 1939 to 194 The triggering event of the Second World War: the invasion of Poland by Germany The progression of the anti-Semitic actions in Poland: -banishment of many Jews from going into different shops -Compulsion of the Jews to wear the Star of David -The ghetto and the concentration camps Music history: -all the pieces that Wladyslaw plays are composed by Chopin World War I: from 1914 to 1918 – Germany lost and had to pay for all the damages made during the war. -During that time, the economic situation in Germany and many Germans suffered from poverty and starvation.

It is one of the leading causes to Holocaust and anti-Semitic ideology: – Jews monopolized Germany’s economy. Jews owned half of the private banks and most of the chain store. They also played an important role in the German stock market and newspapers. Example in the movie: One of the German told the Jews that were building the wall that he will make them a deal saying that if they work well, they will be treated well. He says: “It is a good deal. Isn’t it something that you Jews are good at? ” World War I: from 1914 to 1918 – Germany lost and had to pay for all the damages made during the war. During that time, the economic situation in Germany and many Germans suffered from poverty and starvation. It is one of the leading causes to Holocaust and anti-Semitic ideology: – Jews monopolized Germany’s economy. Jews owned half of the private banks and most of the chain store. They also played an important role in the German stock market and newspapers. Example in the movie: One of the German told the Jews that were building the wall that he will make them a deal saying that if they work well, they will be treated well. He says: “It is a good deal.

Isn’t it something that you Jews are good at? ” -He soon had to move to ran away from his apartment because the Germans started to burn all the residences in this area. He climbed over the wall separating the ghetto and the non-Jewish area and discovered that the ghetto had been completely deserted destroyed by bombardments. – He tries to find food from one house to another until the day that he met a German captain, Wilm Hosenfeld who asked him about his job. Szpilman told him that he was a pianist and proved it by playing Chopin’s Ballad no. in G minor. Captain Hosenfeld was touched by his music and decided to hide him and give him food. – Finally, the Germans had to leave Warsaw because the Russians were coming. Captain Hosenfeld had asked the pianist’s name before he left and he told Szpilman that his name means pianist in German. -After the Russians liberated Poland, Szpilman went to find captain Hosenfeld has been captured by the soviet army, but he could not find him -He soon had to move to ran away from his apartment because the Germans started to burn all the residences in this area.

He climbed over the wall separating the ghetto and the non-Jewish area and discovered that the ghetto had been completely deserted destroyed by bombardments. – He tries to find food from one house to another until the day that he met a German captain, Wilm Hosenfeld who asked him about his job. Szpilman told him that he was a pianist and proved it by playing Chopin’s Ballad no. 1 in G minor. Captain Hosenfeld was touched by his music and decided to hide him and give him food. – Finally, the Germans had to leave Warsaw because the Russians were coming.

Captain Hosenfeld had asked the pianist’s name before he left and he told Szpilman that his name means pianist in German. -After the Russians liberated Poland, Szpilman went to find captain Hosenfeld has been captured by the soviet army, but he could not find him -In 1940, all the Jews were sent to a Jewish ghetto in which lacks food and hygiene. Starvation and illness were greatly present in those ghettos. In order to make his family survive, Wladyslaw Szpilman had to play piano in a small restaurant. -In 1942, all the Jews in the ghetto were shipped to extermination camps.

A friend of Wladyslaw Szpilman who is a Polish guard saved him from the concentration camp. – After being separated from his family, Szpilman hide within the few Polish that Germans kept alive to rebuild the buildings in which non-Jewish people will live and a wall between the ghetto and the non-Jewish residential area. -Szpilman escaped from the ghetto with the help of a friend. He went to see Dorotha, an acquaintance who was one of his fans and she hid him in an empty apartment. -In 1940, all the Jews were sent to a Jewish ghetto in which lacks food and hygiene.

Starvation and illness were greatly present in those ghettos. In order to make his family survive, Wladyslaw Szpilman had to play piano in a small restaurant. -In 1942, all the Jews in the ghetto were shipped to extermination camps. A friend of Wladyslaw Szpilman who is a Polish guard saved him from the concentration camp. – After being separated from his family, Szpilman hide within the few Polish that Germans kept alive to rebuild the buildings in which non-Jewish people will live and a wall between the ghetto and the non-Jewish residential area. Szpilman escaped from the ghetto with the help of a friend. He went to see Dorotha, an acquaintance who was one of his fans and she hid him in an empty apartment. -In 1940, all the Jews were sent to a Jewish ghetto in which lacks food and hygiene. Starvation and illness were greatly present in those ghettos. In order to make his family survive, Wladyslaw Szpilman had to play piano in a small restaurant. -In 1942, all the Jews in the ghetto were shipped to extermination camps.

A friend of Wladyslaw Szpilman who is a Polish guard saved him from the concentration camp. – After being separated from his family, Szpilman hide within the few Polish that Germans kept alive to rebuild the buildings in which non-Jewish people will live and a wall between the ghetto and the non-Jewish residential area. – The Jews in this work camp planned to rebel against the German commanders and Szpilman helped them to bring weapons in the ghetto. -In 1940, all the Jews were sent to a Jewish ghetto in which lacks food and hygiene.

Starvation and illness were greatly present in those ghettos. In order to make his family survive, Wladyslaw Szpilman had to play piano in a small restaurant. -In 1942, all the Jews in the ghetto were shipped to extermination camps. A friend of Wladyslaw Szpilman who is a Polish guard saved him from the concentration camp. – After being separated from his family, Szpilman hide within the few Polish that Germans kept alive to rebuild the buildings in which non-Jewish people will live and a wall between the ghetto and the non-Jewish residential area. The Jews in this work camp planned to rebel against the German commanders and Szpilman helped them to bring weapons in the ghetto. The story is about the experience of Wladyslaw Szpilman, a famous Polish pianist during the holocaust who lived in Warsaw in Poland. The movie is based on the memoir of the real Szpilman. -At the start of the movie in 1939, a Polish radio station in Warsaw in Poland being bombed while Szpilman plays Chopin’s C-Sharp minor live on the air. Historically, it was the last broadcasting that the Warsaw radio ever had. Wladyslaw Szpilman returned home and saw that his parents, his brother and two sisters were packing up to leave Poland because the Germans began to occupy Warsaw. -They changed their plan and decided to stay when they heard that England and France declared war to Germany. – The situation soon deteriorated and Jews were forced to wear the Star of David. The story is about the experience of Wladyslaw Szpilman, a famous Polish pianist during the holocaust who lived in Warsaw in Poland. The movie is based on the memoir of the real Szpilman. At the start of the movie in 1939, a Polish radio station in Warsaw in Poland being bombed while Szpilman plays Chopin’s C-Sharp minor live on the air. Historically, it was the last broadcasting that the Warsaw radio ever had. – Wladyslaw Szpilman returned home and saw that his parents, his brother and two sisters were packing up to leave Poland because the Germans began to occupy Warsaw. -They changed their plan and decided to stay when they heard that England and France declared war to Germany. – The situation soon deteriorated and Jews were forced to wear the Star of David.