Parents' Guide to

The Pianist

By Nell Minow, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Powerful true story of Jewish pianist has brutal violence.

Movie R 2002 150 minutes
The Pianist Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

  • The Pianist Movie: Wladyslaw (Adrien Brody) sits at a piano, hand poised over the keys
  • The Pianist Movie: Three adult White women eat dinner around a dining table
  • The Pianist Movie: Wladyslaw (Adrien Brody) looks devastated, standing in the foreground of a bombed out street, dead bodies visible

Community Reviews

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age 16+

Based on 11 parent reviews

bartc
bartc Parent of 15-year-old
February 8, 2022
age 16+

May be one of the best movies I've ever seen. Please watch this with your (older) kids.

I would say this is one of the most powerful movies about war and the resilience of the human spirit ever made. It is brutal and unrelenting, but the story will stay with you long after you see it. Please watch this with your kids then talk about it afterwards and why we need to be vigilant that nothing like this ever happens again.
12wolf34
12wolf34 Adult
May 2, 2021
age 15+

So good but a bit to mature for younger teens and kids

One of my favorite movies. But the Holocaust is a very strong topic, and this is a very sad movie but I highly recommend this.
See all 11 parent reviews

What's the Story?

THE PIANIST is the emotionally devastating true story of Wladyslaw Szpilman (Adrien Brody), a Jewish pianist in Poland caught up in the horrors of World War II. The Nazis invade Poland, confine Jews to a ghetto, and eventually ship them off to concentration camps. There is heartbreaking and graphic violence. Yet, director Roman Polanski delivers this difficult message in a very thoughtful, skillful way. Just when the audience is on the verge of becoming numbed by the grim life in the ghetto, the pianist escapes for a day and walks through the bright flower stalls in the crowded market outside the ghetto. It reminds the viewer of how far the pianist has fallen from a "normal" life, but it gives the viewer the same brief respite that it gives the pianist. Just when the Nazi brutality against the Jews seems unbearable, a music-loving German soldier treats the pianist kindly while Jewish victims prey on each other.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (11 ):
Kids say (21 ):

The epic journey of a man transformed by a series of events from an elegantly dressed, highly cultured musician to a scavenging, debased shell of a human being is powerfully conveyed. The most effective parts of The Pianist are its small, vivid, almost unbearably poignant human moments. In one such scene, a family awaiting a transport train that will take them to an extermination camp combines all their remaining money to buy a single caramel, which they carefully divide into six tiny portions.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about why movies such as The Pianist, which is based on a true story, are so important. Are there any current events you can think of that are similar to the invasion of Poland and the plight of Jews in World War II?

  • In so many movies, violence serves no purpose but to provide a burst of excitement, to create action, to keep the audience entertained. How is this movie different? What do you think is the purpose of showing graphic violence here?

  • While most people are familiar with what transpired during the Holocaust, what specifics did you learn that added to your understanding of World War II, the Warsaw Ghetto, and the brutal and unspeakable genocide? As the true story of a Jewish musician who lived through such a terrible time, how did this movie personalize these events?

  • While many of his films are highly acclaimed, director Roman Polanski is a wanted criminal. How does an artist's tarnished legacy affect audience's view of their art? Can we separate the impact of the art from that of the artist? To what extent should a director's legacy influence the legacy of their films, considering the many other people involved in making them?

  • How does Wladyslaw demonstrate perseverance and courage in The Pianist? Why are these important character strengths?

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