Customer Ratings & Reviews

One of the more compelling Movies that covers the atrocities during WW2. Hard to watch at times, but a great performance by Adrien Brody.

Beautiful movie, it made me think and realize even more how awful the human race is truly we are lucky to be living in the present day even though we have our own struggles it doesn't compare to what people went through during that era.

At last, Shout Factory releases one of the popular award-winning films of the early 2000s. The controversy surrounding director Roman Polanski no doubt made other studios reluctant to touch this film, but if you can enjoy the art apart from the artist, this is an emotional and brutal movie that tells the story of a concert pianist who suffers the persecution and murder attempts of the rising ['30s-'40s German] regime. Adrian Brody won an Oscar for his portrayal of Wladyslaw Szpilman, and though it's arguable that World War II or Holocaust films are usually favorites of the Academy, it's hard not to marvel at Brody's transformation from a healthy and self-possessed musician to a man who is little more than a hunted animal as the terror of World War II reaches a peak. It's a tough movie, and may be too grim for some, as Polanski does not shy away from the violence and disregard for life shown by the [bad guys] toward the [oppressed people]. In some ways, there is more horror in this film than in Polanski's classic fright film Rosemary's Baby. The color palette runs very gray in this film, and the contrast of Blu-ray brings that out, but it's never a treat for the eyes like some films. It's an endurance test, but one worth taking to see the story of Szpilman unfold. It's hard not to watch a film like this and wonder what any of us would do if faced with these impossible choices. I may not watch it again soon, but I know I will feel compelled to see The Pianist again.

'The Pianist' has been reviewed for nearly 20 years and there's not much I can add other than Adrian Brody's Wladyslaw Szpilman is a fascinating character. Not exactly a hero, not exactly a coward, he exists somewhere in-between. His main goal is self-preservation against nearly impossible odds. He hides far more than he resists and spends much of the movie fleeing the Germans and scrounging for food. Polanski's dark personal history during WWII undoubtedly helped color this difficult and unconventional movie character. Even with all the awards showered upon it I don't think 'The Pianist' is an absolute classic (or even Polanski's best film) but it is superbly made and feels very real. As far as the technical merits go for this blu-ray, I have to say that it is not the greatest presentation. The audio is quite good and absorbing but the video is merely passable. Obviously this edition was taken from an older HD scan and it shows. Nothing really pops and there isn't as much depth as you'd expect from a newly done scan from the camera negative. It's not the best disc Shout Factory has ever put out and I'm guessing they couldn't do much with such an old and problematic scan. In any case, this is the best home video presentation of the movie and I would certainly recommend it to anyone interested but be sure to keep your expectations in check and understand this is not a reference quality disc.

Shout Factory hit a home run. Flawless restoration. Wonderful sound quality and picture. I've been waiting for a Region A blu for a while. Highly Recommended.

Adrien Brophy plays the Pianist, who with his family is trying to survive the German occupation of Poland during World War II. A stark and tragic look at the war in Poland.

This movie is really good. It has great characters and superb story. Looks great on blu ray.

The Pianist is so great, everyone should watch it so we don't forget what can happen. The DVD will enable me to watch the movie when and where I want without waiting for downloads.

Powerful movie. Well made and directed. Highly recommend it for adults.

This movie deserved the Shout Factory treatment. Classic film

Fabulous film! Great story, cinematography, and audio compilations!

Roman Polanski sucks but this movie and blu ray are both good

Love this movie! looks great and it arrived very quickly.

This movie inspired the events that took place in 2001 a spice odyssey. Look it up!