Roman Polanski on the Pianist Born in Paris to Polish Parents, Roman Polanski Was Raised and Educated in Poland. He Made His
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Roman Polanski on The Pianist Used with permission of The Writing Studio www.writingstudio.co.za Born in Paris to Polish parents, Roman Polanski was raised and educated in Poland. He made his stage acting debut at the age of 14, and performed on the radio show "The Merry Gang." Also in his teens, he appeared in several Polish feature films, including Andrzej Wajda's "Generation." He attended art school in Cracow and the National Film School in Lodz, where he directed several short films, including "Two Men and a Wardrobe" (1958) and "When Angels Fall" (1959). These short films garnered him awards at various film festivals. His feature film directorial debut was "Knife in the Water" (1962), which won the Critics' Prize at the Venice International Film Festival, was nominated for an Academy Award as Best Foreign-Language Film, and made the cover of Time. Journeying to England, Polanski made his first English-language feature, "Repulsion" (1965), starring Catherine Deneuve. The film earned the Silver Bear Award at the Berlin International Film Festival, while Polanski's next British feature, "Cul-de-Sac" (1966) won the Golden Bear Award at the same festival the following year. He played a lead role in his next British film, "The Fearless Vampire Killers" (1967), before coming to America to make "Rosemary's Baby" (1968), which film brought him an Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay and earned Ruth Gordon the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. Polanski returned to Europe to direct his adaptation (co- written with Kenneth Tynan) of Shakespeare's "Macbeth" (1971), before filming What?" (1972; a.k.a. "Diary of Forbidden Dreams"). He returned to Hollywood to make "Chinatown" (1974), which won the Golden Globe Award for Best Picture [Drama]. Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway starred in the film, which was nominated for II Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director, winning Best Original Screenplay for Robert Towne's script. Back in Europe, Polanski next helmed" The Tenant" (1976), in which he starred, and "Tess" (1979), which was adapted from Thomas Hardy's Tess of the D'Urbervilles, and earned 6 Academy Award nominations, including one for Best Director. It won 3 Oscars.. Cinematography, Art Direction, and Costume Design. His autobiography, Roman by Polanski, published in 1984, was a best-seller in several languages. Polanski subsequently directed "Pirates" (1986), "Frantic" (1988), "Bitter Moon" (1992), "Death and the Maiden" (1994), and "The Ninth Gate" (1999). In addition to directing for the screen, Polanski has directed stage and opera productions. He directed Alban Berg's "Lulu," at the Spoleto Festival; Verdi's "Rigoletto," at the Munich Opera; and Offenbach's "Tales of Hoffmann," at the Paris Opera Bastille. In 1981, he directed and starred in a production of Peter Shaffer's "Amadeus" that was first staged in Warsaw and then in Paris. In 1988, he played the lead role in Steven BerkofFs stage adaptation of Franz Kafka's "Metamorphosis." In 1996, he directed Fanny Ardant in a production of Terrence McNally's "Master Class." Also in 1996, Polanski directed a musical comedy production, "Tanz Der Vampire," in Vienna, which was based in part on his 1967 movie "The Fearless Vampire Killers." In a rare latter-day lead acting role, Polanski starred opposite Gerard Depardieu in Giuseppe Tornatore's "A Pure Formality" (1994). He also recently starred in Andrzej Wajda's "Zemsta" ["The Vengeance"] (2002). He became a member of the Institute De France's Academie Des Beaux-Arts in 1999 (succeeding the late Marcel Carne). He is the 2002 recipient of the Golden Scepter, awarded by the Foundation of Polish Culture. Roman Polanski on 'the pianist' "I always knew that one day I would make a film about this painful chapter in Polish history, but I did not want it to be based on my own life. As soon as I read the first chapter of Wladyslaw Szpilman's memoirs, I instantly knew that The Pianist would be the subject of my next film. I knew how to tell it. It was the story I was seeking. in spite of the horror, it is a positive account, full of hope. I survived the bombing of Warsaw and the Crakow Ghetto and I wanted to recreate those childhood visions. It was also important for me to stick as close to the truth as possible and avoid Hollywood-style make-believe. I have never done, and don't intend to do, anything autobiographical, but making The Pianist I could use the experiences I went through. While visiting Cracow scouting for locations, my childhood memories resurfaced. What I felt, walking along the streets of the former Ghetto, proved that I couldn't shoot the film in Cracow. In addition to my own recollections, I could rely on the authenticity of Szpilman's account. He wrote it just after the war - perhaps that's why the story is so strong, so genuine, and so fresh. He describes the reality of this period with surprising - almost cool and scientific - objectivity. There are decent Poles and evil Poles in his book, decent and evil Jews, decent and evil Germans. Before we began the shoot, we consulted historians and survivors of the Ghetto. I also showed the whole crew documentary footage of the Warsaw Ghetto. As for the actor to play Szpilman, I wasn't looking for a physical resemblance. I wanted a young actor who could slip into the skin of the character as I imagined him. It was important that he not be a household name. As the film was to be shot in English, we needed someone who spoke the language fluently. We organised a casting call in London - "no experience necessary." 1400 people showed up. After the auditions, we realised it would be difficult to find someone with absolutely no experience, so we broadened our search to professional actors. I didn't find anyone in Britain, so we extended our search to the United States. When I saw some of Adrien Brody's work, I didn't hesitate: he was The Pianist. The Pianist is a testimony to the power of music, the will to live, and the courage to stand against evil." Why were you so attracted to Wladyslaw Szpilman's book? What was in it that was so important for you and why, as you yourself have said, do you believe in this movie like no other? Roman Polanski. This book describes the events I remember from my childhood. For many years I've been planning to make a film about this period, but I couldn't find the right material. Szpilman's book isn't just another chapter in the book of martyrdom we all know. In his memoirs, he describes these events from the point of view of a man who experienced them. The book was written shortly after the war and maybe this is why it is so fresh, unlike the accounts written later, 20-30 years after the war. Reading the first few chapters, I knew it was going to be my next film. Ronald Harwood, the screenwriter, has said: "Roman Polanski's contribution to the script is enormous. Many solutions, which nobody else could have thought of, are taken from his own personal experiences." To what extent is this film your personal creation? RP: You know, many times I read things that could more or less make a movie on that subject, but they were usually too close to my own personal experiences of the war. I didn't want that. Here, however, we are dealing with the Warsaw Ghetto -I was in the Cracow Ghetto. I could use my own experiences in the script without making it an autobiography. It was easy for me to work on this script because I remember that period all too well. Speaking of Ronald Harwood, what was the reason for choosing him to write the script, apart from the fact that he is a well-known dramatist? RP. I needed a screenwriter who already had some experience with this subject. Ronald Harwood has written plays and scripts dealing with this period. I greatly admired his plays, "The Dresser" and "Taking Sides," the play about Furtwangler, the German conductor accused of collaborating with the Nazis. It was after seeing this play that I was convinced that Ronnie was the man. You treat the story told in THE PIANIST in a very personal way. Did you ever plan to appear personally in the film? RP. No, never. I wanted this film to be as authentic and realistic as possible. Playing cameo roles in films is somewhat reminiscent of Hitchcock, and comes across as an inside joke - which I've sought to avoid here. Of course it could have some symbolic meaning, but since a lot of people recognize me it would take you out of the movie. Some people would murmur, "It's Polanski, Polanski." I didn't want that. How did you imagine the actor who could play the leading role in THE PIANIST, and what special characteristics did you look for? RP: I didn't look for physical resemblance, because in my opinion it doesn't matter. I wanted an actor who could fit the character as I imagined him. It was important that he not be a "name," a well-known actor. This is why we decided from the start to look for an unknown actor. Because the film was made in English, we needed someone who could speak the language fluently. So we looked for an undiscovered talent in London ... we didn't find anyone there, so we decided to broaden our search to America.