The Holocaust In Roman Polanski's The Pianist

The Pianist, directed by Roman Polanski, tells the story of Wladyslaw Szpilman and his time during the Holocaust. The movie is based on Szpilman’s autobiographical book and opens with the Nazi invasion of Poland in 1939. However, Szpilman’s family does not think that the war will last long once they hear that England and France have declared war on Germany. The thought that the Allied powers will quickly defeat Germany was a common belief by many of the Polish Jews at the beginning of the war.

The war did not end quickly though. Soon after the German invasion of Poland, troops soon enter Warsaw where Szpilman and his family reside. New laws are enforced that limit where Jews can go and requiring that they identify themselves with armbands depicting the Star of David. Szpilman and his family take the new laws in stride as they still believe that the war will end quickly. November 1940 makes

While the family is making their way to the train, Szpilman is recognized by one of the Jewish ghetto police officers who grabs him from the crowd and tells him to leave quickly. His family, unfortunately, is still sent to Treblinka where it is believed that they died. On his own, Szpilman works in a labor camp for a short time. While Szpilman is working in the labor camp, he hears of the coming uprising in the Warsaw ghetto and even helps smuggle weapons into the ghetto. Before the uprising actually happens, Szpilman escapes and he is helped by wealthy Aryan friends of his who help him get settled into an apartment where he can see the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising happen from his window. One of the neighbors in the apartment suspects him of being a Jew and says she will call the police unless he shows his identification papers to her. He leaves and goes to a woman’s home that he once had a relationship with. She is now married and her husband is working with the