Vladyslav Szpilman's Survival In The Film The Pianist

In the film The Pianist, the main character Vladyslav Szpilman survives the Holocaust despite the slim odds of doing so. His survival can be attributed to his talent, fame, and connections he had as a classically trained piano player and composer.
His acclaimed playing give him many opportunities that would not have been available to him otherwise. He is able to get a job because of his fame at a restaurant. Although his playing is not enjoyable to him, he gains money and critical connections. Without income, it is very likely that both him and his family members would have died of starvation in the ghetto. Later on, he utilizes the restaurant as a much needed hiding place. The opportunities he was able to take advantage of all stem back to

his fame.
Connections through the restaurant and others he had through his work save his life. While waiting to be shipped off to his death, a friend in the Jewish police pulls him out of line and tells him to run. This man is risking so much but Szpilman’s fame and caliber seems worth saving to the man. When Szpilman is free, he is helped by others in the music industry. Singer Andrzej Bogucki and his wife Janina find places for him to stay and give him enough to survive. Without his career, he would not have known these people and therefore would have been homeless and killed by the Nazis almost immediately.
Lastly, when in hiding, Szpilman is discovered by Nazi officer Wilm Hosenfeld. When he finds out that Szpilman is a pianist, he asks him to play. After he performs a complicated piece, Hosenfeld is moved enough that he lets Szpilman live in the attic. He brings him food and enough things to keep him living. Although Szpilman was malnourished, tired and scared, his talent shone through and persuaded the Nazi.
Overall, if Vladyslav Szpilman had any other profession he would have died. His expertise and experience in the musical field gave him a greater chance of living and he utilized this in the greatest way he could. He took advantage of every situation with connection to him fame and that is why he survived.