Themes In The Pianist

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Set in Poland during WW2, The Pianist is a biographical film released in 2003 about a famous pianist’s, Wladyslaw Szpilman, struggle to survive the Nazi invasion. The director, Roman Polanski’s personal connection to this film and the fact that it is based on an autobiography makes this text extremely meaningful. However, the production features of a film is what brings forth the director’s ideas to the audience. The interweaved themes of music and hope are conveyed throughout the film, stating how powerful music is in bringing hope and comfort to an individual. In pursuance of successfully communicating this idea to his audience, Polanski employs the techniques and elements of characterisation, tone and cinematography. Characterisation …show more content…

Replying to the German Officer, Szpilman states, “I’ll play the piano again...On the Polish radio,” after the war ends. His ambivalent and sentimental tone indicates how no matter his current situation, he only wishes to create music once again and that it gives him hope and determination to live one more day. The audience can once again empathise with the protagonist when the freed Jewish prisoner shouts, “Me, a musician. You took my violin, you took my soul,” in an indignant tone. In conjunction with this figurative language, it indicates that as a musician, Szpilman must have also felt this when his piano is taken away. Therefore his determination to play again would have driven his survival despite having lost everyone around him. This idea can be re-established by his objective, yet bitter tone when he tells his family to take the price offered for the piano. It expresses his regretfulness and frustration about having to sell his piano due to their financial situation, almost as if he is losing a part of himself. Thus, tone is an effective technique through which Polanski is able to effectively convey the theme of

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