The Pianist (2002)

Frank Finlay: Father

Photos 

Quotes 

• Wailing Woman : Why did I do it? Why did I do it? Why did I do it?

  Halina : She's getting on my nerves. What did she do, for God's sake?

  Father : She smothered her baby.

• Henryk Szpilman : What's the matter with you all, huh? You lost your sense of humor?

  Wladyslaw Szpilman : That's not funny.

  Henryk Szpilman : Well, you know what's funny? You're funny, with that ridiculous tie.

  Wladyslaw Szpilman : [getting angry]  What're you talking about my tie for? What does my tie have to do with anything? I need this tie for my work!

  Henryk Szpilman : [mocking]  Oh, your work.

  Wladyslaw Szpilman : Yes, that's right, I work!

  Henryk Szpilman : Yes, yes, your work. Playing the piano for the parasites in the ghetto.

  Wladyslaw Szpilman : Parasites...

  Henryk Szpilman : Yes, parasites. They don't give a damn about people suffering.

  Wladyslaw Szpilman : And you blame me for their apathy, right?

  Henryk Szpilman : [accusing]  I do, because I see it everyday. They don't even notice what's going on around them.

  Father : I blame the Americans.

  Wladyslaw Szpilman : [visibly upset]  For what, for my tie?

• Halina : We could hide the money. Look here. We can hide the money under the flower pots.

  Father : No, no, no, no, I'll tell you what we do. We use tried and tested methods. You know what we did in the last war? We made a hole in the table leg

  [taps the leg] 

  Father : and hid the money in there.

  Henryk Szpilman : And suppose they take the table away?

  Father : What do you mean, take the table away?

  Henryk Szpilman : The Germans go into Jewish homes and they just take what they want, furniture, valuable, anything.

  Mother : Do they?

  Father : Idiot, what would they want with a table, a table like this?

  [rips a piece of wood off the table] 

  Mother : What on earth are you doing!

  Halina : No, listen. This is the best place for it. No-one would think of looking under the flower pots.

  Henryk Szpilman : No, no, no, listen, listen to me, I've been thinking...

  Wladyslaw Szpilman : Oh, really? That's a change.

  Henryk Szpilman : You know what we do? We use psychology.

  Wladyslaw Szpilman : We use *what*?

  Henryk Szpilman : We leave the money and the watch on the table, and we cover it like this, in full view.

  Wladyslaw Szpilman : [amazed]  Are you stupid?

  Henryk Szpilman : The Germans will search high and low, I promise you, they'll never notice!

  Wladyslaw Szpilman : That's the stupidest thing I've ever seen, of course they'll notice it. Look.

  [takes the violin and a bill, folds it and slips it into the opening of the violin] 

  Wladyslaw Szpilman : Look here... idiot.

  Henryk Szpilman : And you call me stupid?

  Mother : No, that is very good, because that is the last place they will ever look.

  Henryk Szpilman : This will take hours!

  Mother : We're not in a hurry, we'll get it back...

  Wladyslaw Szpilman : It won't take hours.

  Henryk Szpilman : How will you get them out? Tell me that, tell me how, I'd like to know, how would you get them out. You take each one out individually...

  Halina : No-one listens to me, no-one.

• Regina : Quiet please. Quiet. Order, order! Please!

  Halina : She's a lawyer, she likes order.

  Regina : Listen, just listen. The watch we put under the flower pots and the money we stuff in the violin.

  Father : Will I still be able to play?

  Wladyslaw Szpilman : Well... you'll find out.

• Father : What do you think? Should I, should I take Uncle Szymon's portrait?

  Mother : Take it, don't take it, take what you like!

  [sigh] 

  Mother : Can't you see I'm worried sick?

• Father : Well, to tell you the truth, I thought it would be worse.