How Does Polanski Show that The Pianist is about the instinct for human survival?
The film The Pianist by Roman Polanski is set in World War II focusing on the true story of
pianist Wladyslaw Szpilman, a Polish Jew. The film has an underlying theme that humans are determined to survive no matter what the cost. This theme is based off of the human psyche and how our brain forces us to survive in certain scenarios (In-School Psychology, 2017). The central threat-processing unit of the brain, also known as the amygdala, cannot be bypassed.
This central threat processing unit is what our brain uses, in combination with adrenaline, to
determine whether we fight or we run away and is a central part of the cognitive system that forces us to survive. Polanski shows that The Pianist is about the instinct of human survival through characterisation, setting, and sound.
Characterisation is defined as a description of the distinctive nature or features of someone or
something (Webster's Dictionary, 2017). The film The Pianist uses this narrative technique to display the theme of survival. Polanski shapes Szpilman to display the features of a survivor. From the very start of the film, Szpilman is somewhat overconfident, staying in the production studio while Warsaw is being bombed by the Luftwaffe (01:34-02:07). As the film slowly progresses into the German occupation of Poland, his inner survivalist starts coming out. Polanski was able to show that Szpilman's character was willing to part with pieces of personal and emotionally valued musical equipment; most notably his piano (13:29-14:07) and his father's violin, to hide a small amount of currency (07:00-07:27), in order to survive. This scene shows us the first signs of Szpilman's survival instinct. As the film progresses, Szpilman changes from an overconfident, influential pianist to a fugitive willing to do anything to survive. This is shown in a scene at the end of the film, where he finds an intact can of pickles (1:53:29-1:56:52), however, he has nothing to open it with. Polanski creates a character who is resourceful by having him use a fire poker to open the can. Another scene that displays the resourcefulness of Szpilman's character is where the Germans are using flamethrowers to burn out the hospital. Szpilman is forced to jump through a window, injuring his leg in the process. Polanski highlighted a human's natural instinct to survive by developing the characterisation of Szpilman.
Sound is one of the most important cinematic techniques a director can use to convey a theme
or mood of a scene. Music with low, bold tones can make an audience feel power or fear, and music with lighter, higher tones can elicit feelings of happiness...
