It's the first time the storied auteur has taken the top prize at the world's premier film fest.
The 68-year-old Polanski said he decided to direct the film of a Polish pianist (Adrien Brody) who escapes the Warsaw Ghetto with the help of German soldier because he finally felt comfortable using his own memories to recreate the story.
Polanski also managed to escape Poland during World War II, but his mother was killed at Auschwitz. (He once passed on a chance to direct Schindler's List, telling Steven Spielberg at the time that he felt the material was too personal and too painful.)
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E! Goes to Cannes:
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May 31 at 4:30 p.m.
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By all accounts this year's Cannes was a hotly contested affair, with many of the 22 features in competition considered prize-worthy. No consensus favorite had emerged by Sunday's closing festivities--even David Lynch, who headed the eight-person jury that also included actresses Sharon Stone and Michelle Yeoh, conceded the final decision wasn't easy.
"There are not enough prizes available to reflect all our desires, yet we as a jury feel very good with our final choices," Lynch said before the awards were divvied up.
Indeed, only one film scored more than one prize: Finnish director Aki Kaurismaki's The Man Without a Past. The romantic tale of an amnesiac and the Salvation Army officer who falls for him was awarded the Grand Prix (as runner-up to The Pianist) and star Kati Outinen was named Best Actress, beating a high-powered field that included Miranda Richardson and Emily Watson.
Best Actor went to little-known Belgian thespian Olivier Gourmet for his role in Le Fils (The Son). He managed to top the likes of Brody, Ralph Fiennes and Jack Nicholson, who many festgoers considered a favorite for his unglamorous turn as an insurance salesman in About Schmidt, a film by Election helmer Alexander Payne.
The jury couldn't decide on a single winner for Best Director, splitting the prize between Paul Thomas Anderson (Boogie Nights, Magnolia) for his black comedy Punch-Drunk Love, starring Emily Watson and a surprisingly restrained Adam Sandler, and South Korean filmmaker Im Kwon-Taek for Chihwaseon, a biopic of a 19th century Korean artist.
Two special prizes were also passed out. Michael Moore won the Anniversary Prize for his documentary Bowling for Columbine, which uses the 1999 Columbine High School tragedy as a jumping-off point in his indictment of America's gun-happy ways. (Moore's film was the first documentary in competition in 46 years.) And Palestinian director Elia Suleiman won the Jury Prize for Divine Intervention, a sometimes disturbing, sometimes comedic take on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Among those dissed: Payne's About Schmidt, British director Mike Leigh's latest blue-collar film, All or Nothing, and the entire French contingent.
Here's a rundown of winners at the 55th Cannes International Film Festival:
Palme d'Or: The Pianist, directed by Roman Polanski (France-Poland)
Grand Prix (runner-up prize): Mies Vailla Menneisyytta (The Man Without a Past), directed by Aki Kaurismaki (Finland)
Best Director: (tie) Paul Thomas Anderson, Punch-Drunk Love (United States); Im Kwon-Taek, Chihwaseon (South Korea)
Special Jury Prize: Yadon Ilaheyya (Divine Intervention), directed by Elia Suleiman (Palestinian)
Special 55th Anniversary Prize: Bowling for Columbine, directed by Michael Moore (United States)
Caméra d'Or (first-time director): Julie Lopes-Curval, Bord de Mer (France)
Short Film: Eso Utan, directed by Peter Meszaros (Hungary)
Best Screenplay: Paul Laverty, Sweet Sixteen (Britain)
Best Actress: Kati Outinen, The Man Without a Past (Finland)
Best Actor: Olivier Gourmet, Le Fils (The Son) (Belgium)
Lifetime Achievement Award: Woody Allen
For a complete recap of Cannes 2002--from the parties to the premieres to the Palme d'Or--tune into E! Goes to Cannes--An E! News Special May 31 at 4:30 p.m.