Lasya Kunduru

This movie is phenomenal. It's heart-touching and a statement on the power of the human spirit and the other spectrum, the pure evil it's capable of. Wladyslaw is a talented man, and even though we do not know much about who he is as a person, we empathize with the horrific atrocities he is forced to endure. One scene that stayed with me was the family sharing a caramel. A young boy is selling caramels within the holding area of the ghetto the Szpilman family is forced to wait in. He charges 20 zlotys for a candy as big as a coin. it's an absurd amount. Yet the father pays for it and splits it 6 ways between his family. This scene is so moving because it shows the family's resignation. What else can they use their money for? It's as if they feel it is the end of the road for them, and unfortunately for most of the family, it is. Another scene shows an older Jewish man within the ghetto playing along and goofing around with children as the conditions in the ghetto worsen and violence gets more frequent, as a way to keep them shielded, as much as a man can, from the horrors that are happening all around him. There are many scenes just like this that make you feel frustrated, angry, and disgusted at the situation this family is forced to live in. It's a gut-wrenching yet inspiring movie It showcases the pure evilness and abuse of power the nazis exhibit, yet also shows the kindness and spiritedness of the people affected by it.