The Pianist is an extremely impactful and powerful film which portrays how atrocious the terror and fear caused by the holocaust exactly was. In today’s world it is particularly important to recall the accounts of the individuals who helped spare Nazi unfortunate casualties from oppression.
The reason behind those individuals who spared thousands from Nazi annihilation is to show how human values of thoughtfulness and empathy remained alive amid in one of the most horrific and dreadful conditions. The non jewish individuals who risked their life, whether it was to offer shelter, a hiding spot or provide food, showed that compassion did exist, that there was still light at the end of the tunnel, that people still had hope left and that there was still humanity left the world. As for the jews themselves, to live in fear not knowing what could happen any moment of their life and still being able to fight and survive just to live another day is indeed envious and heroic.
The courage of these individuals is remarkable and unforgettable and is shown through a film platform which has huge impact of the way the audience thinks and behaves. The film not only portrays the pain and suffering that was caused but it also connects with the audience on an emotional level. This is what makes each individual want to make a difference in someone’s life and have the courage to care.
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There are various characters in the film that help Wladyslaw Szpilman escape from the Nazis. Firstly, there is Wilm Hosenfeld, a german officer himself who finds Wladyslaw in an empty house whilst scanning it. After hearing Wladyslaw play the piano, Hosenfeld has a change of heart and decides to not only help him hide but also provide food and his coat. Ultimately, he gets caught and dies while a prisoner. Moreover, Micheal Dizikikiewicz and Dorota also help Wladyslaw escape from the nazis. They hide him in an abandoned house which is locked from the outside, therefore people believe that there’s no one in the house. They also have frequent checks on Wladyslaw, and provide him with food and anything else he needs as well.
In The Pianist, Polanski makes sure to not glorify the situation in any shape or form and portrays exactly what happened as much as possible. By doing this, the audience can deeply connect with the characters and understand what actually happened, rather than watching a glorified version of the situation. Polanski showed graphic scenes of how the jews were treated by the germans and there were a few moments which were tough to watch. The brutality and ruthlessness in the film, makes the audience question the meaning behind such suffering. It brings upon numerous questions that the audience might have not even given a thought about. This is what in fact influences the audience to build up their courage and make a difference, even if it’s just for one person.
Another powerful film is The boy in the striped pajamas, based on true events taken place during the holocaust. The film is about a friendship between two boys from completely different worlds. Shmuel who is jew and Bruno who is the son of the nazi commandant. The film showcases their growth as an individual and of their friendship as well.
There is courage portrayed by bruno, who goes to visit Shmuel everyday even-though he isn’t allowed and also helps him find his dad (who is missing). This is just one of the many literary works that have impacted the thought process of the audience through an emotional connection, which drives the audience to think about how the smallest thing you do for someone can have a huge difference in their. It makes you wonder, how much power empathy and caring for others really has.
The Holocaust survivor and author Elie Wiesel, has devoted his life to guaranteeing that what happened with the jews, can never be forgotten. Wiesel wrote ”In those times there was darkness everywhere.In heaven and on earth, all the gates of compassion seemed to have been closed. The killer killed and the Jews died and the outside world adopted an attitude either of complicity or of indifference. Only a few had the courage to care.”
References
- History.com – The Holocaust
- Yad Vashem – Righteous Among the Nations
- The New Republic – They Were Individuals Who Sheltered Jews From the Nazis. They Wrote Brilliantly Authentic Accounts. They’ve Been Forgotten.
- United States Holocaust Memorial Museum – The Pianist: The Extraordinary Story of One Man’s Survival in Warsaw, 1939-1945
- Holocaust Music – Wladyslaw Szpilman
