When his family is taken away on the death trains, Szpilman escapes and finds shelter with the help of the friends in the Polish underground. Due to the increasing danger, he cannot stay in one place for long and he carefully moves from hiding place to hiding place. One of his hiding spots gives him a clear view of the events of the famous Warsaw ghetto uprising of 1943. He happily watches from his window as the ghetto residents take up arms against the Nazis but the mood changes as the Nazis mercilessly attack the ghetto and burn it down, effectively shutting down the resistance. The film is very gritty and realistic and the mood successfully conveys the fear and anxiety faced by Szpilman as he moves about trying not to be discovered by the Nazis. We see a once vibrant human being systamatically reduced to a shell of his former self in the mere struggle for survival against violent persecution. There are graphic scenes of persecution and bloodshed, but this film is about hope and the power of the human spirit for survival against the harshest of circumstances.

This film has a superb cast. Adrian Brody gives a standout performance as Szpilman. He completely disappears in his role. He successfully channels his emotions through his expressive eyes. Thomas Kretschmann is also in the movie (He was in The Downfall which I reviewed below). He gives another magnificent performance as a German officer who discovers Szpilman in his final hiding spot. Some of the most moving and powerful scenes are those between Brody and Kretschmann.

This film is very well researched and special care was taken by Roman Polanski to keep the realism of the story. The dvd has a wonderful collection of special features including real photos and footage from the Warsaw ghetto, the story of the making of the film, and footage of the real Wladyslaw Szpilman.