RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN INDIVIDUAL AND COMMUNITY

The Relationship between Individual and Community in Roman Polanski's the Pianist and Frank Beyer's Jacob the Liar



The Relationship between Individual and Community in Roman Polanski's the Pianist and Frank Beyer's Jacob the Liar

Introduction

The heart wrenching miseries of World War II and Holocaust can never be forgotten by anyone. It is the most painful aspects of reality which we cannot deny and cannot forget. Throughout history, wars have only lead towards tragedy, pain, and sufferings. The tragedy and drama in plays, films and novels have always used wars as the central theme to make an emotional appeal. Film making has many styles where tragedy and comedy are the most appealing styles throughout the world. The strong appeal of tragedy makes the audience feel the role of central character or secondary character in himself and becomes highly involved in the film. On the other hand, the comedy style of film making is on a lighter note but it is also highly appealing and gives a strong message especially if it's based on reality. As an extreme case of genocide, the Holocaust which was the murder of the Jews and Romanies of Europe by the Nazis during the World War II has become, in the West, the archetype of evil. The trauma of Holocaust by the Jewish community and survivors can never be forgotten. It has been the most heart wrenching and painful event in the history of the world (Berghahn, 2004).

The relationship between the individual and community can be highlighted through the film-making art of Roman Polanski's The Pianist and Frank Beyer's Jacob the Liar. The individual character in Jacob the Liar is represented through the desire for survival and how he escapes death during the invasion of Poland by Germany. The miseries of life can be endured if one has the will power and courage to survive. This is how Beyer develops a relationship between the individual and the Jewish community in Jacob the Liar. The Pianist has represented the individual character through the desire for heroism where he instills hope and optimism in the miserable ghetto life.

Discussion

Roman Polanski's The Pianist- Style of Film Making

The Pianist has depicted the tragedy of the Jewish community in a very unique cinematic style. The plot revolves around the Polish-Jewish pianist, Szpilman who witnesses the atrocities and pain during the invasion of Poland by Germany. Szpilman played piano on radio in Warsaw station but it was bombed during Nazi Germany's invasion. Poland was defeated by Germany and this led towards painful conditions for the Polish-Jews. When the German forces entered Poland, the life of Jews became miserable. They were forced into Ghettos and forced to wear the Star of David armbands to be recognized as Jews. Poland was a central site of the World War II, the earliest victim of the National Socialist military attack, with the longest period of occupation, the territory where most of the Holocaust took place and the country with the highest percentage of ...