The Pianist

"The Pianist" tells the story of Władysław Szpilman, an outstanding pianist and composer. In September 1939, he plays Chopin’s Nocturne on the radio amidst bombing raids. After the Nazis invade, Szpilman’s life and that of his family—his parents, brother, and sisters—descend into a series of humiliations: they lose their property, and eventually even their piano. They are confined to a ghetto, where hunger and cruelty are part of everyday life. Szpilman earns money by playing in a café, and when his family is placed in cattle cars, his life is saved by a police officer friend. Hidden by Polish friends, he avoids death when the Warsaw Uprising breaks out. He finds shelter in a ruined villa, which turns out to be a German headquarters. There he meets a captain who orders him to play the piano; moved, the German decides to spare his life. After the war, Szpilman returns to Polish Radio and learns that the German captain is held captive by the Soviets, but when he arrives, he finds only an empty camp.