The Pianist isn't at all boring, by the way. In fact, it moves at the pace of a thriller (although it has few of a thriller's pleasures, obviously). Whatever his personal flaws, Polanski is incredibly rapid and assured as a director: this is an epic film that runs for more than two and a half hours, but there isn't a single wasted shot or scene. This is all the more amazing when you realize that much of the second half basically just consists of a man in a room, and that whole reels can go by without a line of dialogue.

In a way, comparing this movie to Gangs of New York is instructive. One is a film by a great director who knows precisely what effect he wants to achieve at any given moment, and the other is by an even greater director who often seems unsure of what to do next. I enjoyed Gangs more, but I'll have to concede that of the two, Polanski is the one who deserves to win Best Director...even if he won't be at the ceremony to pick up his statuette.