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Roman Polanski’s Oscar-winning WWII epic, starring Adrien Brody.

The Pianist by Roman Polanski

Director Roman Polanski’s Oscar winning World War II epic, starring Adrien Brody, has now been released by Universal Studios Home Video. This extraordinary dramatic tale of survival and triumph is available to rent or buy now - and is a definite must-see.

This highly anticipated release follows hot on the heels of The Pianist’s success at the Academy Awards where it received three Oscars - 'Best Director' for Roman Polanski, 'Best Actor' for Adrien Brody and 'Best Adapted Screenplay' for Ronald Harwood.

The DVD features some fantastic extras on a two-disc collector’s DVD set, packed with unique additional footage. Disc two extras will include A Story of Survival, a specially created forty minute documentary that offers the viewer an in-depth look at the production of the film as well as an intimate insight into Roman Polanski’s real-life survival during World War II. Other extras include the international theatrical trailer, photo gallery and filmographies on Roman Polanski, Adrien Brody and Thomas Kretschmann.

Warsaw

Set in Warsaw in Poland, The Pianist is a testimony to the power of music, the will to live, and the courage to stand against evil, and is based on the true account of Polish Jew Wladyslaw Szpilman’s amazing survival through the brutal Nazi occupation of his country during World War II. A brilliant pianist, Szpilman is portrayed by Adrien Brody (Summer of Sam, Peter Jackson's remake of King Kong. The Thin Red Line, Bread and Roses), whose sensitive and measured performance earned him the 'Best Actor' gong at this year’s Oscars.

The supporting cast includes a host of stars – Thomas Kretschmann (Blade II, U-571), legendary British actors Frank Finlay and Maureen Lipman, Emilia Fox (who last appeared in the new TV version of Randall & Hopkirk Deceased), Ed Stoppard, Julia Rayner and Jessica Kate Meyer.

In addition to the three Oscars awarded to The Pianist it also won 2 BAFTAs, the coveted Palme D’or in 2002, a European Film Award and countless nominations in many more ceremonies.

A superb and moving tribute to those who lived under the oppression of the Nazis, The Pianist is not just the story of one man’s survival but a study of human nature under immense pressure, a study of loyalty, compassion and betrayal. We see Wladyslaw Szpilman survive the Warsaw ghetto, the loss of his friends and family and the eventual liberation of Warsaw by the Soviets.

Moving

Along the way he is aided and betrayed by the most unlikely people: the startling bond between Szpilman and the German Captain Wilm Hosenfeld is particularly poignant.

From the legendary and controversial director Roman Polanski (Rosemary’s Baby, Chinatown), The Pianistis his most personal statement yet. At the age of seven he escaped the Krakow Ghetto through a hole in a barbed-wire fence. The Pianistmarks the first time the director had made a movie in Poland in 40 years. "I survived the bombing of Warsaw and the Krackow Ghetto and I wanted to re-create those childhood visions," Polanski notes. "It was also important for me to stick as close to the truth as possible and avoid Hollywood style make-believe."

DVD extras for The Pianist look like this:

More information available in DVD / Home Video