What's the Purpose?<br>Movie: <i>The Pianist</i>

The Pianist

‘Music was his passion. Survival was his masterpiece.’

Grade Level: 9-12, college

Subject: History, Music, Current Events

Keywords: Lesson Plan, Movies in the Classroom, holocaust, attic, based-on-autobiography, based-on-true-story, deportation, execution, fugitive-from-nazi, genocide, gestapo, ghettoization, hiding-place, humiliation, hunger, jaundice, luggage, murder, music, nazi-occupied-poland, nazi, piano-concerto, piano-player, piano, polish-resistance, starvation, tank, underground-resistance, violence, warsaw-ghetto, wheelchair, wwii, 1930s, 1940s, anti-semitism, concert, contraband, freight-train, historical, hospital, jewish, mass-murder, mistaken-identity, musician, pianist, police-brutality, prisoner-of-war, radio-broadcasting, restaurant, rooftop, separation-from-family, wall, war-crime, warsaw-poland, whipping, panzer.

Author: Sarah Lane

Affiliation: ClassBrain, Inc.

Date: 6 May 2003

Duration: 1-4 class periods

Background: Based on a true story. A Polish Jewish musician struggles to survive the destruction of the Warsaw Ghetto of World War II. Wladyslaw Szpilman, a brilliant Polish pianist escaped deportation and is forced to live in the heart of the Warsaw Ghetto. As he is hiding in the ruins of the capitol, a German officer comes to his aid and helps him to survive. Wladyslaw Szpilman published Death of a City in 1946 which recounts his experience including life in the ghetto, and how it was for the victims and the torturers. The work was banned by the communist authorities. In 1998 his son Andrzej Szpilman discovered the manuscript of his father’s memoirs which led to a new publication of the work. It was first translated and published in France as The Pianist.

Objective: Watch the movie or excerpts from the movie The Pianist (2002). Use the lesson plans to gain a better understanding of the plot and structure of the film. Use the Resources & Materials to complement your lesson plans or to develop unique lesson plans. This film is not recommended for younger viewers.

Resources & Materials:

“The Pianist” Film Facts

Websites for Student Resources

Websites for Teacher Resources

Vocabulary List - If you plan on using the Lesson Plans for younger students, this vocabulary list will be helpful.

Lesson Plan - Purpose

After reviewing The Pianist Film Facts, write a paper answering the questions below.

It has been said that older generations must continually educate younger generations on the atrocities of the genocide of the Jewish people. Do you think that watching movies such as Schindler’s List and The Pianist really give people an idea of what living in that time period as a victim felt like? Have you gained insight into the hardships they faced and do you intend on passing this down to younger generations? What other ways could we make sure that events such as those that occurred in Nazi Germany don’t ever happen again? Will this be enough? Do you see something like this happening in the future to a particular group or heritage?

Film Facts

Genre(s): Drama, War

Rating: R for violence and brief strong language

Family Rating: kids-in-mind Please visit the "kids-in-mind" website to get a detailed explanation of why this movie is rated "R". This film is not recommended for kids ages 16 and under.

Running Time: 149 minutes

Primary Actors: Adrian Brody (Oscar 2003, Best Male Actor) as Wladyslaw Szpilman, Emilia Fox as Dorota, Thomas Kretschmann as The German Officer, Michal Zebrowski, Ed Stoppard, Maureen Lipman as The Mother, Frank Finlay as The Father.

Director: Roman Polanski

Music: Wojciech Kilar (original), Frederic Chopin (non-original)

Screenplay: Ronald Harwood

Producers: (Primary) Robert Benmussa, (Executive) Timothy Burrill, (Co-Producer) Gene Gutowski

Studio: Focus Features

Related Internet Resources:

www.thepianistmovie.com
www.thepianist-themovie.com