Where to watch The Pianist (2002)

Trivia & production notes

• Roman Polanski directed The Pianist after personally escaping the Kraków Ghetto as a child and hiding in a Polish farmer's barn during World War II.
• Joseph Fiennes turned down the lead role because of a prior theatrical commitment, prompting Polanski to hold a casting call in London where over 1,400 actors auditioned.
• Polanski discovered Adrien Brody for the role after watching Harrison's Flowers and offered it to him at their first meeting in Paris.
• The Warsaw Ghetto was recreated on the backlot of Babelsberg Studio in Potsdam using old Soviet Army barracks that were scheduled for demolition anyway.
• The ghetto uprising scene, which was the first shot at Babelsberg Studios, was described as complex and technically demanding.
• The Umschlagplatz scene was filmed at the National Defence University of Warsaw rather than a typical film location.
• Polish pianist Janusz Olejniczak performed all close-up shots of Szpilman's hands and also performed on the soundtrack, with his recordings overdubbed onto Brody's actual playing.
• Adrien Brody spent months practicing piano before and during filming so his hand movements would appear convincing to viewers, even though the actual playing was overdubbed.
• The score contrasts German classical music, including Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata played by the German officer Hosenfeld, with primarily Polish and Chopin compositions played by Szpilman.
• Post-production on the film took place over several months in Paris after principal photography ended in July 2001.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article The Pianist (2002 film), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Rewritten for StreamShack; errors are ours — tell us about them.