Release CalendarTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV News
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsEmmysSan Diego Comic-ConOutfest LASTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
Sign In
New Customer? Create account
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

The Pianist

  • 2002
  • AA
  • 2h 30m
IMDb RATING
8.5/10
862K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
670
23
The Pianist (2002)
Theatrical Trailer from Focus Features
Play trailer1:21
1 Video
99+ Photos
BiographyDramaMusic

A Polish Jewish musician struggles to survive the destruction of the Warsaw ghetto of World War II.A Polish Jewish musician struggles to survive the destruction of the Warsaw ghetto of World War II.A Polish Jewish musician struggles to survive the destruction of the Warsaw ghetto of World War II.

  • Director
    • Roman Polanski
  • Writers
    • Ronald Harwood
    • Wladyslaw Szpilman
  • Stars
    • Adrien Brody
    • Thomas Kretschmann
    • Frank Finlay
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    8.5/10
    862K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    670
    23
    • Director
      • Roman Polanski
    • Writers
      • Ronald Harwood
      • Wladyslaw Szpilman
    • Stars
      • Adrien Brody
      • Thomas Kretschmann
      • Frank Finlay
    • 1KUser reviews
    • 147Critic reviews
    • 85Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Top rated movie #33
    • Won 3 Oscars
      • 57 wins & 74 nominations total

    Videos1

    The Pianist
    Trailer 1:21
    Watch The Pianist

    Photos203

    Wladyslaw Szpilman in The Pianist (2002)
    Wladyslaw Szpilman in The Pianist (2002)
    Adrien Brody in The Pianist (2002)
    Adrien Brody, Frank Finlay, Maureen Lipman, Julia Rayner, Ed Stoppard, and Jessica Kate Meyer in The Pianist (2002)
    Roman Polanski and Adrien Brody in The Pianist (2002)
    Roman Polanski in The Pianist (2002)
    Roman Polanski in The Pianist (2002)
    Adrien Brody in The Pianist (2002)
    Roman Polanski in The Pianist (2002)
    Adrien Brody in The Pianist (2002)
    Roman Polanski and Adrien Brody in The Pianist (2002)
    Adrien Brody and Thomas Kretschmann in The Pianist (2002)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Adrien Brody
    Adrien Brody
    • Wladyslaw Szpilman
    Thomas Kretschmann
    Thomas Kretschmann
    • Captain Wilm Hosenfeld
    Frank Finlay
    Frank Finlay
    • Father
    Emilia Fox
    Emilia Fox
    • Dorota
    Michal Zebrowski
    Michal Zebrowski
    • Jurek
    Ed Stoppard
    Ed Stoppard
    • Henryk
    Maureen Lipman
    Maureen Lipman
    • Mother
    Jessica Kate Meyer
    Jessica Kate Meyer
    • Halina
    Julia Rayner
    Julia Rayner
    • Regina
    Wanja Mues
    Wanja Mues
    • SS Slapping Father
    Richard Ridings
    Richard Ridings
    • Mr. Lipa
    Nomi Sharron
    • Feather Woman
    Anthony Milner
    • Man Waiting to Cross
    Lucy Skeaping
    • Street Musician
    • (as Lucie Skeaping)
    Roddy Skeaping
    • Street Musician
    Ben Harlan
    • Street Musician
    Thomas Lawinky
    • Schutzpolizei
    Joachim Paul Assböck
    Joachim Paul Assböck
    • Schutzpolizei
    • Director
      • Roman Polanski
    • Writers
      • Ronald Harwood
      • Wladyslaw Szpilman
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    More like this

    Life Is Beautiful
    8.6
    Life Is Beautiful
    Schindler's List
    9.0
    Schindler's List
    The Green Mile
    8.6
    The Green Mile
    Léon: The Professional
    8.5
    Léon: The Professional
    Forrest Gump
    8.8
    Forrest Gump
    Saving Private Ryan
    8.6
    Saving Private Ryan
    Seven
    8.6
    Seven
    The Intouchables
    8.5
    The Intouchables
    American History X
    8.5
    American History X
    The Silence of the Lambs
    8.6
    The Silence of the Lambs
    Gladiator
    8.5
    Gladiator
    Fight Club
    8.8
    Fight Club

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      During the shooting of the movie, while scouting locations in Krakow, Roman Polanski met a man who had helped Polanski's family survive the war.
    • Goofs
      (at around 2h 20 mins) When Szpilman is playing in the closing scenes, the piano's "Steinway & Sons" logo is the style first used in the 1990s.
    • Quotes

      Wladyslaw Szpilman: What are you reading?

      Henryk Szpilman: "If you prick us, do we not bleed? It you tickle us, we we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die? And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge?"

      Wladyslaw Szpilman: [seeing that it is Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice] Very appropriate.

    • Crazy credits
      Aside from the Universal and Focus Features credits, there are no opening credits. All credits, including the title, appear at the end of the film.
    • Connections
      Featured in The Making of 'The Pianist' (2003)
    • Soundtracks
      Nocturne in C# Minor, Posthumous
      (1830)

      Written by Frédéric Chopin (as Fryderyk Chopin)

    User reviews1K

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    10/10
    10 out of 10
    The Pianist is an account of the true life experience of a Polish pianist during WW2, in the context of the deportation of the Jewish community to the Ghetto of Warsaw, a setting virtually absent from all films inspired on WW2.

    Polanski (himself a child survivor of the Krakow and Warsaw ghettos) could have described in more detail the legendary, desperate fighting of the Jewish resistance in the ghetto of Warsaw, or the horrific mass extermination in concentration camps. Instead, the film gains in intensity by displaying the war from the pianist's own point of view (through windows, half-opened doors, holes in the walls - with big emphasis on the use of "point of view shooting" by the cameraman). One cannot help feeling disturbed by the most enthralling scenes of the film, as the isolated pianist tries to ensure his survival in the ghetto and ruins of Warsaw, hiding and fleeing, moving from one bombed house to the next, gradually becoming a shadow of his former self, hungry and afraid (merit largely attributed to the extraordinary performance by Adrien Brody, who visibly loses half of his weight throughout the film).

    Does the pianist raise any sympathy from the audience? Not immediately, in my view. The pianist is more than often a drifting character, almost a witness of other people's and his own horrors. He seems to float and drift along the film like a lost feather, with people quickly appearing and disappearing from his life, some helping generously, others taking advantage of his quiet despair, always maintaining an almost blank, dispassionate demeanour. One may even wonder why we should care in the least about this character. But we do care. That is, I believe, the secret to this film's poetry.

    In one of the strongest scenes, towards the end, a German officer forces the pianist to play for his life, in an episode that suddenly brings a much lighter, beautifully poetic shade to the film (this German officer will be probably compared to Schindler, although his philanthropy does not quite share the same basis).

    This is also a wonderful tribute to Polish artists, through Chopin's music, with the concert at the very end of the film and the opening performance by the pianist at the local radio station (with the sound of bomb explosions in the background) forming an harmonious link between the beginning and end of the film (following Polanski's usual story-frame).

    Overall, The Pianist is one of the most detailed and shocking accounts of the treatment of the Jews by the Nazis, with the atmosphere in Warsaw well captured and believable. Quite possibly, The Pianist will remain in the history of film-making as the most touching and realistic portraits of the holocaust ever made.

    Polanski's film deserves a strong presence in the 2003 Oscar nominations, including a nomination for Adrien Brody's amazing performance, Polanski's sublime direction, best adapted screenplay and, obviously, best picture. This could be, at last, Polanski's long awaited, triumphal comeback to the high and mighty Hollywood.
    helpful•357
    65
    • Xanan
    • Jan 20, 2003

    Top picks

    Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations
    Sign in

    Movies & Series About Musicians

    Movies & Series About Musicians

    "The Idol," Purple Rain, and more toe-tapping stories about the magic of music.
    Face the music
    Production art
    Photos

    FAQ16

    • What happened to the person who stole all the donations and let speilman starve?
    • Is 'The Pianist' based on a book?
    • What song was Szpilman playing when...

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • January 24, 2003 (Canada)
    • Countries of origin
      • France
      • Poland
      • Germany
      • United Kingdom
    • Official sites
      • Focus Features (United States)
      • Official Facebook
    • Languages
      • English
      • German
      • Russian
    • Also known as
      • Le pianiste
    • Filming locations
      • Instalatorów, Ochota, Warsaw, Mazowieckie, Poland(Umschlagplatz scenes)
    • Production companies
      • R.P. Productions
      • Heritage Films
      • Studio Babelsberg
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $35,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $32,572,577
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $111,261
      • Dec 29, 2002
    • Gross worldwide
      • $120,072,577
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 30 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • DTS
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    • IMDb Answers: Help fill gaps in our data
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2023 by IMDb.com, Inc.