TEACHING THE CULTURE OF LIFE: The Pianist A Culture of Life Studies movie review Note to parents The Pianist (2002) • Due to the violence and brutality against the Jews GENRE : Drama portrayed in this film (people get shot point blank, beaten STARRING : Adrien Brody, by the Nazis, etc.), you may wish to preview the film before Thomas Kretschmann showing it to your children. DIRECTED BY : Roman Polanski • There are occasional uses of d***, s***, and f*** throughout RUNNING TIME: 2 hours 30 the film. minutes RECOMMENDED AGE: STORY SUMMARY Upper high school RATED : R for violence and Władysław Szpilman is a well-known Jewish pianist in Warsaw, some brief, strong language Poland, on the brink of World War II. The film opens as he is (see note to parents) playing for the Warsaw radio station when the city gets bombed and Germany invades Poland. Because he and his family are Jewish, they feel the brunt of the brutality of the Third Reich. Bit by bit, their freedoms are taken away. They are not allowed in coffee shops, in the park, nor even on park benches. Their gentile friends are shocked at these decrees, almost not believing them to be true. The new German regulations anger Szpilman and his spirited siblings, yet they have no choice but to comply or face the consequences for their family. Through all the suffering, Szpilman still believes that if they just comply, his family will be saved. The final straw comes when his family and the rest of the ghetto get deported. Szpilman thought the employment certificates he worked hard to obtain would spare his family, but instead they are forced onto trains leading out of the city. While waiting to board, a friend of Szpilman sees him and pulls him out of the line away from his family. Szpilman’s friends help him live in hiding in a number of apartments during the Warsaw Uprising. Out of food after part of the city has been destroyed in the fighting, Szpilman seeks refuge in an abandoned house where he is then discovered by a Nazi officer. The officer, Captain Wilm Hosenfeld, helps him by bringing him food while the Nazis occupy the building. As the Russians get closer to liberating Warsaw, the Nazis retreat and Szpilman finds his way to freedom. © 2015 American Life League LIFE THEME: THE POWER OF A SINGLE PERSON It only takes one person to act in order to make a difference in someone’s life. Szpilman’s musical talent forces Hosenfeld to realize that Szpilman is an artist, and he understands the void that would exist if he were killed. In Hosenfeld’s eyes, music gives Szpilman humanity and he sees him as an individual. Hosenfeld clearly understands the consequences of his actions. The whole war he has seen what the Nazis have done to the people they have conquered. Perhaps he has helped people before or maybe this is the first time he has reacted to the inhumanity he witnesses. What Hosenfeld does for Szpilman is heroic, but the Nazi captain doesn’t see his actions as such. In the end, Hosenfeld can only offer Szpilman his coat and a little food, hoping this will be enough to keep the pianist alive until the Russians come. He probably hopes that someone would do the same for him and his family if their roles were reversed. One could argue that Captain Hosenfeld only helps Szpilman because he hopes that Szpilman will later assist him when the Russians take over—but Hosenfeld’s attitude shows this is clearly not the case. Captain Hosenfeld helps his “enemy” because he realizes that Szpilman is just like him—deserving the same dignity and respect as every other human being. If one person acting alone can save one life, how many lives could many people save working together? As people working to build a culture of life, we must remember that each small thing we do that promotes the dignity and respect of the human person is a heroic action that brings us closer to our goal of a society that protects life. The heroes of our generation are just ordinary people going about their daily tasks, just like all the people who helped Szpilman escape. HOW CAN I APPLY THIS TO MY LIFE? One person fighting against the culture of death seems like a daunting task meant only for superheroes, but as we learn from Captain Hosenfeld, standing up for the innocent is not difficult. Opportunities for protecting and preserving the dignity of each human person happen every day. How do we respond to these opportunities? Do we say yes and promote a culture of life with our words and actions, or do we stay silent? We might not feel much like heroes or saviors; we might think that saving people is not our job. Don’t fall into thinking that you are too small or insignificant to make a difference in the fight for the lives of preborn children. Building a culture of life and ending abortion doesn’t start with a large battle. It starts with every small thing we can do to build a culture that protects every life from creation until death. We can do this by smiling at the person we pass on the street, doing chores without complaining, or making friends with the awkward kid in the neighborhood. While it might not sound like it, these actions are heroic because these small things take us one step closer to establishing a culture of life. Heroes aren’t born; heroes are made through practice and responsibility in small ways. What small action could you do every day to promote a culture of life? Have students suggest ways. Answers will vary. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS 1. In the film, Henryk calls Szpilman’s employers “parasites.” What does he mean by this term? Henryk feels that the restaurant owners in the ghetto who give Szpilman a job are only staying in business to make money, turning a blind eye to the horrors going on around them. The rich eat in the restaurant and listen to Szpilman play, forgetting the outside street where children are dying of hunger. They are only taking advantage of the situation so they can stay in business during the rough period of the war. © 2015 American Life League 2. How does apathy and staying silent hurt, rather than help, the marginalized of society (the Jews, the homeless, preborn children, etc.)? Apathy and silence on the part of those who know better only allow the evil to continue. 3. Why does Szpilman believe that his family will be spared? Szpilman, who believes in law and justice, thinks that if his family follows the new regulations, the government will let them live peaceful lives. What convinces Szpilman that he is wrong? When Szpilman witnesses the inhumanity of the Nazis—the children dying in the streets, the mockery of the Jews by Nazis soldiers, and the reckless killing of his fellow countrymen—he realizes that the Nazis are not just trying to control the Jews; they are trying to exterminate them. When the Nazis refuse to honor Szpilman’s work certificates, Szpilman finally knows that he is not dealing with a just ruling authority. 4. Why does Captain Hosenfeld help Szpilman? Captain Hosenfeld is clearly struck by Szpilman’s rendition of Chopin’s “Ballade in G Minor” and admires Szpilman as an artist. Szpilman’s talent for music makes him appear human to Captain Hosenfeld. What evidence in the film suggests that he has a moral compass? What motivates him to help Szpilman? As the camera pans Captain Hosenfeld’s desk, we see a photograph of his family. His family is his moral compass that motivates him to help another human being in need. His offhand attitude while helping Szpilman shows that he feels like he is incapable of doing much to stop Hitler’s ideology, yet he understands that a helpless human being is not his enemy, but someone he needs to protect. CATHOLIC CONNECTIONS Read Matthew 25:31-46 Who are the “least brothers” of the Lord? How does Szpilman fit this description? Brainstorm a list. It could include anyone who is hungry, but has no food, thirsty, but has no drink, etc. Szpilman not only has bodily needs like food and shelter, but he is also despised by the Nazis, which makes it harder for him to fill those needs. Which of the works of mercy does Captain Hosenfeld do for Szpilman? Do you think he sees his actions as works of mercy? Captain Hosenfeld fed him, clothed him, sheltered him, and welcomed him. Answers will vary. He sees his actions as God working through him to keep Szpilman alive. © 2015 American Life League.