When she wished to wake up, Chihiro’s body began to disappear and she became more and more afraid. Chihiro hides and is eventually found by Haku, who then explains how to survive in the spirit world to Chihiro.
19. The Pianist (2002)
The next best movie recommendation has a setting when the Nazi regime was in power. Adrien Brody achieved a remarkable feat by becoming the youngest Oscar winner for the Best Actor category through this movie.
The movie is based on the autobiography of Polish Jewish pianist Wladyslaw Szpilman, who lived during the German occupation of wartime Poland.
Brody’s performance was mesmerizing in portraying a pianist surviving in the midst of war. He managed to showcase very realistic pressure and stress that made the audience feel involved in Szpilman’s story, and worried when he was in danger.
Sadness is not only felt when seeing Szpilman survive, but also when witnessing the brutal treatment of German soldiers. Each character, although not given much screen time, still manages to get enough attention.
For example, the character Wilm Hosenfeld appears at the end of the story. His behavior draws sympathy and admiration, proving that not everyone in the bad crowd is evil.
The Pianist Synopsis
Wladyslaw Szpilman, a pianist of Polish and Jewish descent, was performing at a radio station in Warsaw in September 1939. At the time, the Nazis blew up the radio station during their invasion of Poland.
Afterwards, Szpilman returned home to join his family. He received news that Great Britain and France had declared war on Germany. However, Szpilman’s hopes for Polish independence in the near future proved unrealized as the British and French troops never came to Poland.
The Polish resistance lasted only one month. Things got worse when the Soviets invaded other parts of Poland as well, while the Nazis took control of Warsaw and set up their military operations office there.
Life for people of Jewish descent became even more difficult as the Nazis banned them from having jobs and forced business owners to close their businesses. In addition, the Nazis also ordered Jews to wear armbands with the Star of David as a special identifying mark.
They were also forbidden to own more than 2,000 zlotys, walk on sidewalks, and use public facilities. In November 1940, Szpilman and his family were forced to move from their home to the Ghetto, a camp for Jews in Warsaw.
The capacity of the place far exceeded the number of inhabitants, so the residents of the Ghetto had to live in very miserable conditions.
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