The Pianist as a movie had plenty of shocking and outright horrifying scenes. To me, the scene that really stuck in my brain the most was near the very end. When the Russian soldiers finally liberate Warsaw, it is supposed to be a moment of happiness, and the main character is temporarily filled with joy. I remember smiling and looking forward to him celebrating with other survivors when the shooting began. As he’s desperately croaking out that he’s Polish, I was on the edge of my seat. Logically I should have known that he would survive, but there was something about the relentlessness of the Russians and his almost hopeless shouts of innocence that affected me.  What especially stood out to me was that that coat really represented the one real time a Nazi/ German had shown him kindness and goodness. This symbol of the exception who saved him nearly got him killed. It is almost reminiscent of the stars of David that were worn by Jews in WW2. Potentially the only reason they were treated badly at random was because that badge differentiated them. In the same way, wearing that coat marked him for death to the Russians. The universality of a single piece of clothing or even trait marking someone as the enemy is terrifying, especially when it is seen on both sides of a conflict. And of course, when they finally allow him to speak, the actor somehow manages to encapsulate everything his character had been through with the three soul wrenching words: “I was cold.”