The Pianist
Brief Synopsis
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An adaptation based on the autobiography of the acclaimed Polish composer, Wladyslaw Szpilman, who detailed his survival during World War II, and narrowly escaped a roundup that sent his family to a death camp. A composer and pianist, Szpilman played the last live music heard over Polish radio airwa
Cast & Crew
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Roman Polanski
Director
Adrien Brody
Wladyslaw Szpilman
Thomas Kretschmann
Captain Wilm Hosenfeld
Frank Finlay
The Father
Maureen Lipman
The Mother
Emilia Fox
Dorota
Film Details
Also Known As
Der Pianist, El pianista, Le pianiste, Pianist, Pianista, El, pianiste
MPAA Rating
Genre
Adaptation
Biography
Drama
War
Release Date
2002
Production Company
Das Werk; Eclair Group; Les Films Alain Sarde; Malde & Company; Runteam, Llc; Sparks Filmtechnik Gmbh; Studio Babelsberg Motion Pictures Gmbh; StudioCanal; StudioCanal; Telewizja Polska S.A. (TVP)
Distribution Company
Focus Features; A-Film Distribution; Alfa Films; Amuse Soft Entertainment; Bac Films Distribution; Camera Film; CinTart; Cinema Mondo; Constantin Film Development, Inc.; Focus Features; Frenetic Films; Golden Village; Oro Film As; Panasia; PathT International; Rai Cinema; Tobis Film; Triangelfilm; United International Pictures; Universal Pictures Home Entertainment; Videocine; Warner Bros. Pictures International
Location
Warsaw, Poland; Berlin, Germany
Technical Specs
Duration
2h 29m
Synopsis
An adaptation based on the autobiography of the acclaimed Polish composer, Wladyslaw Szpilman, who detailed his survival during World War II, and narrowly escaped a roundup that sent his family to a death camp. A composer and pianist, Szpilman played the last live music heard over Polish radio airwaves before Nazi artillery hit. There, in Poland, Szpilman struggled to stay alive--even when cast away from those he loved. He spent the duration of the war hiding in the ruins of Warsaw and scavenging for food and shelter. Szpilman eventually reclaimed his artistic gifts, and confronted his fears--with aid from the unlikeliest of sources.
Director
Roman Polanski
Director
Cast
Adrien Brody
Wladyslaw Szpilman
Thomas Kretschmann
Captain Wilm Hosenfeld
Frank Finlay
The Father
Maureen Lipman
The Mother
Emilia Fox
Dorota
Ed Stoppard
Henryk
Julia Rayner
Regina
Jessica Kate Meyer
Halina
Ruth Platt
Janina
Michal Zebrowski
Jurek
Wanja Mues
Ss Officer Who Slaps The Father
Richard Ridings
Mr. Lipa
Nomi Sharron
Woman With The Feather
Anthony Milner
Man Waiting To Cross
Lucie Skeaping
Street Musician
Roddy Skeaping
Street Musician
Ben Harlan
Street Musician
Thomas Lawincky
Schutzpolizei
Joachim Paul Assböck
Schutzpolizei
Roy Smiles
Itzak Heller
Paul Bradley
Yehuda
Daniel Caltagirone
Majorek
Andrzej Blumenfeld
Benek
Darian Wawer
Child At The Wall
Zbigniew Zamachowski
Client With Change
Lejb Fogelman
Client With Change
Detlev Von Wangenheim
Ss Officer
Zofia Czerwinska
Woman With Soup
Udo Kroschwald
Schultz
Uwe Rathsam
Ss Officer Addressed By Woman
Joanna Brodzik
Woman Addressing Ss Officer
Katarzyna Bargielowska
Wailing Woman
Maja Ostaszewska
Woman With Child
John Bennett
Dr. Ehrlich
Cyril Shaps
Mr. Grun
Wojciech Smolarz
Boy With Sweets
Lech Mackiewicz
Fellow Worker
Frank Michael Kobe
Ss Officer Who Shoots Benek
Torsten Flach
Zig Zag
Peter Rappengluck
Ss Officer Making Speech
Ronan Vibert
Janina'S Husband
Krzysztof Pieczy+ski
Gebczynski
Katarzyna Figura
The Neighbor
Valentine Pelka
Dorota'S Husband
Andrew Tiernan
Szalas
Tom Strauss
Dr. Luczak
Cezary Kosinski
Lednicki
Janusz Olejniczac
Performer
Grzegorz Artman
Performer
Adam Bauman
Performer
Pawel Burczyk
Performer
Zbigniew Dziduch
Performer
Marian Dzi+dziel
Performer
Nina Franoszek
Performer
Jerzy Goralczyk
Performer
John Keogh
Performer
Jaroslaw Kopaczewski
Performer
Patrick Lanagan
Performer
Dymitr Lezczenko
Performer
Dorota Liliental
Performer
Rafa+ Mohr
Performer
Andrzej Pieczynski
Performer
Morgane Polnaski
Performer
Norbert Rakowski
Performer
Piotr Siejka
Performer
Weronika Szen
Performer
Andrzej Szenajch
Performer
Tomasz Tyndyk
Performer
Andrzej Walden
Performer
Zbigniew Walerys
Performer
Maciej Winkler
Performer
Tadeusz Wojtych
Performer
Andrzej Zielinski
Performer
Maurycy Zylber
Performer
Xawery Zylber
Performer
Jerzy Wolochowicz
Performer
Morgane Polanski
Performer
Crew
Nastuh Abootalebi
Digital Effects Compositor (Das Werk)
Nastuh Abootalebi
Digital Effects Artist
Malgosia Abramowska
Assistant (To Roman Polanski)
Maher Abu-mugheisib
Driver
Anna Adamaszek
Assistant Art Director
Janusz Adamiak
Wardrobe Assistant
Julie Adams
Dialect Coach
Nancy Allen
Assistant Music Editor
Wladyslaw Anczyc
Music ("Marsz Strzekcow")
Wladyslaw Anczyc
Lyrics ("Marsz Strzekcow")
Tobias Asam
Runner
Johann Sebastian Bach
Music ("Suite No. 1 Bmv 1007 For Solo Cello")
Vanessa Baker
Voice Casting
Sylvie Balloy
Production Accountant
Urszula Baraniak
Cashier
Thierry Barnay
Other
Piotr Bartoszkiewicz
Driver
Sylvette Baudrot
Script Supervisor
Andreas Beck
Assistant Compositor (Das Werk)
Roger Beck
Systems Adminstrator (Das Werk)
Nicolas Becker
Foley Artist
Jakub Bednarek
Loader
Ludwig Van Beethoven
Music ("Sonata No. 14 In C# Minor, Op. 27/2, Mondscheinsonate")
Tadeusz Belke
Driver
Markus Bendler
Other
Robert Benmussa
Producer
Odile Beraud
Production Assistant (Eclair Numerique)
Andrzej Besztak
Production Coordinator
Magdalena Biedrzycka
Assistant Costume Designer
Miroslaw Bielecki
Generator Operator
Elisabeth Blavat
Accountant
Jean-marie Blondel
Production Sound Mixer
Elena Blum
Assistant Compositor (Das Werk)
Antje Blumel
Production Assistant
Andrzej Bogdanski
Driver
Tadeusz Boniecki
Orchestra Contractor
Gannot Borowski
Electrician
Ronald Boullet
Digital Restoration (Eclair Numerique)
Katia Boutin
Dialogue Editor
Stephanie Boutinaud
Digital Restoration (Eclair Numerique)
Kerstin Braun
Props Assistant
Melanie Braux
Assistant Editor
Michel Briegel
Assistant Compositor (Das Werk)
Ewa Brodzka
Second Assistant Director
Marek Brodzki
Crowd Marshal
Claude Broutin
Assistant Sound Editor
John Brownjohn
German Dialogue
Peter Buchhardt
Electrician
Ian Burlingham
Project Consultant
Timothy Burrill
Executive Producer
Lionel Cassan
Assistant Editor
Marilena Cavola
Assistant Sound Editor
Aneta Cebula
Assistant Location Manager
Daniel Champagnon
Line Producer
Sonali Chatterjee
Hair Assistant
Sonali Chatterjee
Makeup Assistant
Arnaud Chelet
Digital Effects Artist (Eclair Numerique)
Alain Chene
Scanning Assistant (Eclair Numerique)
Pawel Chiczewski
Best Boy
Janusz Chlebowski
Stunts
Wieslawa Chojkowska
Set Decorator
Frederic Chopin
Music ("Ballad No. 1 In G Minor, Op. 23"), Music ("Nocturne In C# Minor - Posthumous Grande Polonaise Brillante, Op. 22 - Allegro Molto")
Piotr Cichon
Stunts
Robert Cichon
Stunts
Arno Clerc
Digital Restoration (Eclair Numerique)
Fabrice Conesa Alcolea
Foley Recordist
Peter Connelly
Digital Effects Compositor (Das Werk)
Paul Conway
Supervising Adr Editor
Marek Cydorowicz
Clapper
Janusz B Czech
Location Manager
Jacek Czechowski
Assistant Set Decorator
Rosana D'andrea
Scanning Assistant (Eclair Numerique)
Bogdan Dabrowski
Camera Operator (2nd Unit)
Philipp Danner
Assistant Compositor (Das Werk)
Isabelle Dassonville
Assistant (To Roman Polanski)
Honorata Dawidowicz
Press Office
Herve De Luze
Editor
Olivier Debert
Digital Effects Artist (Eclair Numerique)
Malgorzata Dedek
Production Accountant
Wolfgang Dell
Gaffer (Magicmove/Magicon Miniature Fx Unit)
Jacek Dlugosz
Stunts
Assia Dnednia
Foley Artist
Mark Dollery
Scanning And Recording (Das Werk)
Brendan Donnison
Voice Casting
Yann Doray
Digital Effects Artist (Eclair Numerique)
Sonja Doring
Assistant Production Manager
Jim Dowdall
Stunt Coordinator
Bogdan Dulak
Set Carpenter
Krzysztof Dulak
Set Carpenter
Jon Duncan
Production Accountant
Michael Duwel
Head Of Art Department
Ireneusz Dybowski
Camera Grip
Jerzy Dziecio
Driver
Philipp Eckel
Image Data Wrangler (Das Werk)
Pawel Edelman
Director Of Photography
Pawel Edelman
Dp/Cinematographer
Dirk Eickhoff
Assistant Location Manager
Michael Eigert
Carpenter
Mitch Enzmann
Motion Operator Operator (Magicmove/Magicon Miniature Fx Unit)
Piotr Farynski
Sound Technician
Michael Fechner
Other
Roxane Fechner
Production Assistant (Eclair Numerique)
Nico Feindt
3-D Animator (Das Werk)
Sonny Christian Fels
Electrician
Guy Ferrandis
Still Photographer
Anja Fiedler
Runner
Raphael Fink
Electrician (Magicmove/Magicon Miniature Fx Unit)
Christian Fischer
Assistant Production Accountant
Thierry Flamand
Other
Sarah Flament
Production Assistant (Eclair Numerique)
Derek Flood
3-D Animator (Das Werk)
Valerie Flouquet
Digital Restoration (Eclair Numerique)
Jens Forkel
Trailer Captain
Jerome Fournier
Matte Painter (Eclair Numerique)
Celestia Fox
Casting
Ryszard Francman
Stunts
Wolfgang Franke
Crane Operator
Frank Frede
Runner
Eckart Friz
Props Buyer
Jozef Frymarski
Driver
Tadeusz Frymarski
Swing Gang
Alexander Gabrysch
Digital Effects Compositor (Das Werk)
Stefan Galleithner
Video Operator (Magicmove/Magicon Miniature Fx Unit)
Stefan Gieysztor
Stand-In
Volker Glaser
Camera Operator (2nd Unit)
Moritz Glasle
Digital Effects Compositor (Das Werk)
Melanie Goggelmann
Production Coordinator (Das Werk)
Martina Goldsmith
Assistant Casting Director
Diana Gollmer
Wardrobe Assistant
Miriam Gomez-casanova
Costume Aging
Manfred Grimm
Construction Coordinator
Sabine Groh
Dresser (For Mr. Brody)
Joachim Gruninger
Motion Control Supervisor (Magicmove/Magicon Miniature Fx Unit)
Joachim Gruninger
Miniature Supervisor (Magicmove/Magicon Miniature Fx Unit)
Zbigniew Gruz
Assistant Director
Jean-max Guerin
Hair Stylist
Zbigniew Gustowski
Focus Puller
Gene Gutowski
Co-Producer
Malgorzata Gwiazdecka
Assistant Costume Designer
Philip Hahn
Production Accountant (Das Werk)
Gerard Hardy
Sound Editor
James N Harrison
Adr Editor
Martin Hartmann
Carpenter
Ronald Harwood
Screenplay (Adaptation)
Leslie Haslam
Translight Photographer
Matthias Hein
Construction Dresser
Katja Heissig
Driver
Elzbieta Heleniak
Production Accountant
Ewa Helman
Wardrobe Assistant
Stefan Henrix
Adr Editor
Marcus Herzog
Music Supervisor (Chopin)
Marcus Herzog
Music Mixing (Chopin)
Marcus Herzog
Music Recording (Chopin)
Adrian Hochstrasser
Assistant Art Director
Brita Hofmann
Costume Aging
David Hofmann
3-D Technical Director (Das Werk)
Kersten Honicke
Stand-In
Anna-maria Hora
Camera Assistant (2nd Unit)
Walter Horger
Scanning And Recording (Das Werk)
Katja Horstmann
Assistant Production Coordinator
Peter Hoyer
Supervising Painter
Andreas Huber
Electrician
Axel Hubner
Driver
Dean Humphreys
Rerecording Mixer
Eugeniusz Jagiello
Driver
Jan Jagielski
Historical Consultant
Gracia Janowicz
Property Master
Philippe Jarland
Digital Effects Artist (Eclair Numerique)
Nicolas Javelle
Assistant Sound Editor
Franciszek Jedlecki
Driver
Jacek Jelen
Stunts
Alex Johnson
Assistant Casting Director
Michel Jonas
Programming & Software Development (Das Werk)
Fides Joppin
Wardrobe Assistant
Jacek Kadlubowski
Stunts
Patrick Kaethner
Camera Operator (2nd Unit)
Dirk Kaiser
Construction Dresser
Zsolt Kalber
Electrician
Nikolai Kanow
Electrician
Andreas Karbe
Carpenter
Adam Karczewski
Electrician
Stanislaw Karlikowski
Driver
Moritz Kathner
Camera Assistant (2nd Unit)
Christophe Keichinger
Scanning Assistant (Eclair Numerique)
Christoph Kettenring
Props Buyer
Holger Kettner
Runner
Arassou Kichenassamy
Scanning Assistant (Eclair Numerique)
Wojciech Kilar
Music
Oliver Kirchhoff
3-D Animator (Das Werk)
Daniel Klappenbach
Supervising Plasterer
Daniela Klewitz
Art Department Coordinator
Will Kley
Assistant Art Director
Sven Klingberg
Carpenter
Holger Klinke
Driver
Adam Kocemba
Wardrobe Assistant
Jan-martin Kohler
Construction Dresser
Madrian Kolodziejczyk
Swing Gang
Piotr Kolodziejczyk
Assistant Production Coordinator
Nils Konrad
Driver
Johannes Koop
Construction Dresser
Film Details
Also Known As
Der Pianist, El pianista, Le pianiste, Pianist, Pianista, El, pianiste
MPAA Rating
Genre
Adaptation
Biography
Drama
War
Release Date
2002
Production Company
Das Werk; Eclair Group; Les Films Alain Sarde; Malde & Company; Runteam, Llc; Sparks Filmtechnik Gmbh; Studio Babelsberg Motion Pictures Gmbh; StudioCanal; StudioCanal; Telewizja Polska S.A. (TVP)
Distribution Company
Focus Features; A-Film Distribution; Alfa Films; Amuse Soft Entertainment; Bac Films Distribution; Camera Film; CinTart; Cinema Mondo; Constantin Film Development, Inc.; Focus Features; Frenetic Films; Golden Village; Oro Film As; Panasia; PathT International; Rai Cinema; Tobis Film; Triangelfilm; United International Pictures; Universal Pictures Home Entertainment; Videocine; Warner Bros. Pictures International
Location
Warsaw, Poland; Berlin, Germany
Technical Specs
Duration
2h 29m
Award Wins
Best Actor
2002
Adrien Brody
Best Actor
2003
Adrien Brody
Best Adapted Screenplay
2002
Best Adapted Screenplay
2003
Ronald Harwood
Best Director
2002
Roman Polanski
Best Director
2003
Roman Polanski
Award Nominations
Best Cinematography
2002
Best Costume Design
2002
Best Editing
2002
Best Picture
2002
Quotes
Trivia
Miscellaneous Notes
Nominated for the 2002 Best Director award by the Director's Guild of America (DGA).
Nominated for two 2002 awards by the Broadcast Film Critics Association including Best Picture and Best Director.
Winner of four 2002 awards from the National Society of Film Critics, including: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (Adrien Brody) and Best Screenplay (Ronald Harwood).
Winner of seven 2002 Cesar awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (Adrien Brody), Best Screenplay, Best Set, Best Cinematography, and Best Original Music.
Winner of the 2002 award for Best Picture by the San Francisco Film Critics Circle.
Winner of the Palme d'Or for Best Film at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival.
Released in United States Winter December 27, 2002
Limited Release in United States January 7, 2003
Released in United States on Video May 27, 2003
Released in United States January 2003
Shown at Palm Springs International Film Festival January 9-20, 2003.
Focus Features acquired theatrical distribution rights to United States, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival.
Filmmaker Roman Polanski, himself, escaped the Cracow ghetto, at the age of 7, through a hole in a barbed-wire fence. "The Pianist" marks the first time that Polanski has made a movie in Poland in 40 years.
Released in United States Winter December 27, 2002
Limited Release in United States January 7, 2003
Released in United States on Video May 27, 2003
Released in United States January 2003 (Shown at Palm Springs International Film Festival January 9-20, 2003.)
Nominated for the 2002 award for Best Actor (Adrian Brody) from the Screen Actor's Guild (SAG).
