The Pianist
Recommended. Age: 17+. A Catholic review of this movie for parents.
Our review
A Jewish piano player lives through the Nazi war in Warsaw. His family is taken away, and he hides alone in the ruins. A German officer who hears him play helps him survive. It is a true, hard and good film about evil and mercy. The one age is 17, set by the MPAA R rating; Common Sense Media says 15+ and Decent Films says Teens & Up.
For parents
One age: 17, set by the MPAA R rating (Common Sense Media says 15+; Decent Films says Teens & Up). Common Sense reports a lot of violence: a man in a wheelchair thrown from a balcony, a woman shot in the forehead, people shot in the head while lying down, an injured person run over by a tank. Language is some, including the F-word. No sex or nudity. Decent Films praises its restraint and its focus on the ghetto. Talk about it: Why did a German officer risk his life for a Jew? What does it mean that Szpilman survived by chance, not by heroism? Why must we remember?