THE PIANIST; THE COLOR OF THE HUMAN SPIRT

Color conveys meaning to us in many different ways. We associate color with emotions in our daily lives. Red is the color of love. Blue is the color of sadness. Yellow the color of sunshine and so on. These types of color association are ingrained in our subconscious. In film, color often speaks to us psychologically and allows us a broader understanding of the story being told. The color contrasts in the film The Pianist allows the viewer an understanding of the extreme emotional distress, sadness and despair of the characters. Color emphasizes the differences between the life of the Polish and that of the Jewish people separated only by a dark wall
Through the multiple layers of color symbolization the viewer is able to recognize first the happiness and normalcy of the Szpilman family. The film opens with brightly colored scenes and their daily life of the Jewish and Polish in Warsaw. The appearance of the characters is clean with rich and colorful clothing. Wladyslaw, the protagonist, is dressed in soft blue suits giving him a very content and soft appearance. The apartment in which the Szpilman family lives is full of warm colors and rich furniture. There is a welcoming atmosphere and a comfortable, homey feel to the apartment. When outside the sun is shining and people smile in the streets. The Jewish people interact with the Polish comfortably, there seems to be no noticeable differences between the two nationalities living in Warsaw. All seem happy as the war approaches and all seem oblivious to the horrors to come.
When the Germans invade Warsaw and the war progresses the Jewish people are moved out of Warsaw and into the Jewish district. As the mood of the characters changes to depression and fear the colors become more shadowed. There are many greys, browns and blues combined with low natural lighting that create heavy shadows. The apartment in the Jewish district that the family is moved to is dirty, darkly colored and appears dreary and depressive. Outside in the district the buildings are in disrepair and heavily shadowed. The weather appears overcast with little sun, often rainy and muddy. These dark colors create a depressive feel to their new home reflective of the emotions felt by the Szpilman family as their situation deteriorates.
Throughout the film there is a strong contrast between the colors in the lives of the Polish compared to that of the Jewish. When Wladyslaw is taken to the apartments of the Polish that are helping him the colors are bright, there are flowers on the tables and many green plants are seen. The clothing of the Polish remains colorful and clean. A particularly profound example of this use of color contrast is seen when Wladyslaw is working on the wall in the Polish market. The sun is brightly shining, the flowers are fully bloomed, and the grass and trees are green and lush. There is food in abundance surrounded by all of the color. The color represents the life and happiness in the lives of the Polish so very much unlike those in the Jewish district. Wladyslaw's appearance is a very strong contrast in this scene. He is dressed in dark rags, no color in his face and he appears weak and desperate.
The color red plays a significant part in symbolizing life and represents those things taken from the Jewish by the Germans that cannot be seen. The blood of the dead in the streets is bright and heavily contrasted against the dark, dreary streets highlighting the life that has been so cruelly taken from the Jewish. The water bucket in the dark hospital when Wladyslaw is dying of thirst is bright red against a cold, blue wall symbolizing a life line he has been searching for. In the dark safe house that becomes somewhat of a prison for Wladyslaw there is one red chair seen only when he first enters the apartment, yet another life line symbol. When the family is working to collect and organize the belongings of the Jewish people for the Germans. There are suitcases, furniture and other items being sorted in what appears to be a warehouse. Wladyslaw's mother is shown next to a German soldier sitting in a chair. There is a large pile of what appears to be bags of clothing next to the soldier. The bags are all brightly colored reds and blues. This large pile of color is symbolic of what’s being taken from the people, not only their belongings but their happiness and their spirit, their heritage and dignity. Another profound moment is after Wladyslaw escapes the death train. His family and friends are all gone; the Jewish population in Warsaw has been exterminated. He is seen walking through a deserted street, forlorn and sobbing. The street is littered with the belongings of those lost. Many of the items are pinks and red symbolizing again the lives of the Jewish. The final symbol of life is the red and white flags on the Polish truck that Wladyslaw hears driving through the destroyed streets of the Jewish ghetto after the Germans have pulled out; His final life line.
It is this profound use of color that gives the viewer and understanding of the misery, dehumanization and degradation that the Jewish people suffered at the hands of the Germans. The scenes in the film that show cruelty, murder and starvation are the obvious examples of the physical abuse. It is the subtle use of color that provides a glimpse into the emotions felt by the Jewish during the Holocaust. Through color the viewer glimpses the fear, humiliation, and hopelessness felt and the human spirit that inevitably prevails.