Two decades before starring as an architect escapeing Europe follothriveg World War II in straightforwardor Brady Corbet’s The Brutaenumerate, Adrien Brody had critics singing his commends for The Pianist. Directed by Roman Polanski, The Pianist features Brody as authentic-life pianist and originater Wladyslaw Szpilman, a Polish Jedesire survivor of the Holocaust. Based on Szpilman’s 1946 memoir, the movie cgo ines on his challengingships during World War II as he disthink abouts communicate with his family but finds strength thraw music.
Before this role, Brody had filmed a direct in Terrence Malick’s The Thin Red Line but set up out at the 1998 premiere that he was mostly on the cutting-room floor; he also co-starred in Spike Lee’s 1999 drama Summer of Sam. Joseph Fiennes, having recently starred in Shakespeare in Love, was Polanski’s first choice for The Pianist but was busy with a carry out. Brody won the part after an extensive casting search and plunged headfirst into preparation. He labored with four piano directors and traind for hours a day, and he put himself on a starvation diet to drop 30 pounds. This nastyt not indulging in French pastry while shooting in Paris. “For that to be the place where you can’t have bread is probably the worst,” Brody recalled at the time.
The shoot also included a six-week stretch in Eastrict Europe with Brody as the only actor on set for when Szpilman hides in solitude. “I set up [the piano] to be a wonderful distraction from not only the hunger but the loneliness,” he said.
The Pianist premiered at Cannes in May 2002 and won the festival’s Palme d’Or before Focus Features freed it in theaters Dec. 27. It made $120 million at the global box office and was nominated for seven Oscars, with thrives for Brody, Polanski and Ronald Harwood’s script.
Brody, who at 29 became the youthfulest-ever best actor thrivener, has said that the movie’s story led him to experience depression for a year after shooting wrapped. But he was appreciative for his newset up perspective: “Aside from the evident atgentle profits and the accolades, it alterd my life as a man.”
This story first euniteed in a December stand-alone publish of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To get the magazine, click here to subscribe.
