The Pianist

Some time ago, Joe blogged a reaction to the film The Pianist. It was funny that at the time he and his tribe were watching it at the big house; I was watching it in my very small one, alone. I was so moved by the movie that night; I told Gregg I had to blog my thoughts on it. But Joe had beaten me to it….and shared similar responses which I had as well.

One thing that he didn’t mention, which for me was the crux of the entire film was the music of Chopin. I felt the music, whether it was intended to be or not, symbolized God. It was the unseen yet palpable entity haunting this film. It was the beauty in the main character’s life that drove him to survive.

Since then, I have had the CD (which I bought over a year ago) playing everyday and have watched the movie three times as well. I think this film is really a film about hope and grace. Hope and grace for me are realities that often can only be appreciated when they are cast against a background of darkness and despair. The scene in the movie that so artfully demonstrates this for me is when Szpilman (Main character) plays Chopin for the German officer among the ruins and insanity of war. The beauty of God in that moment rises up leveling delusions of human superiority or domination over another. The two men are in the presence of something far greater and for one sustained moment, God has broken through in the most unlikely surreal moment. That scene is somewhat of a life picture for me of the meaning of hope and grace.

Since before Christmas, I think God has been trying to teach me about hope in very concrete events,,,,this film being one of them. I guess, along with my praises of this movie, and strong suggestion to watch it for anyone who hasn’t, I want to share that hope and grace are profound realities. As I type that sentence, my flesh says how simplistic and overly optimistic, given the headlines and the aging image I see of late in the mirror staring back at me every morning; But my spirit knows otherwise. And I suppose none of the people reading this have ever endured what the man in this movie did, but like him, we have had and are having our share of darkness and despair, but we must stand on the reality, though we lose our balance so easily that God will, at the right time, enter the moment and allow us to hear the music of his essence sustaining our attention in order that we may know that HE IS and we are able to survive