Directed by Jane Campion. Australia/New Zealand, 1993. Color. Rated R. 121 minutes. Cast:
Holly Hunter, Harvey Keitel, Sam Neill, Anna Paquin.
The Piano has proved to be a great resource when observing and assessing our personal lives and
the current status of social problems in our culture. This film is definitely worthy of viewing,
and although the film takes place in the early 1800s, it touches upon many real-life issues that are
of concern to us in the 1990s. It deals with concepts of love, oppression, relationships, and
emotion. It also deals with moral issues (what is right and what is wrong).
The Piano captures a period of time when women were oppressed and emotion was not made
public. Ada, an English woman who has been mute since the age of six (Holly Hunter), has
entered an arranged a marriage. She and her daughter (Anna Paquin) sail to New Zealand to meet
Stewart her new husband (Sam Neill). He is there trading with the Maori people for land. Since
the tribesmen have to carry her things through the woods to get back to the house, they have to
leave her beloved piano on the shore because it is too heavy. Ada is forever resentful of Stewart
for leaving her most prized possession. Baines, Stewart's translator (Harvey Keitel), salvage her
piano for himself and tells Ada that she could earn it back with one visit for every black key. An
intense relationship develops between Baines and Ada, but in the end they suffer greatly for it.
The audience to which this film would appeal could range from the music lover to the drama-suspense enthusiast. It is a wonderfully composed film; from the score to the shots, this is a well
made movie. The film could draw people who are interested in human interaction and the role it
plays in a person's environment, but the harshness of the film, its rugged, unrestrained truth, could
very well turn people away. It has some very disturbing moments, visually and emotionally.
Audiences need maturity to understand the strong images and concepts that Jane Campion has
woven into her film. Stewart's jealous rage creates a terrifying feeling as he chases his mute wife,
Ada through the woods. There is nudity in the film, but it is tastefully done and should not sway
people away from finishing the film. Things that might disturb some viewers include the portrayal
of the Maori people. The film shows them from the perspective of the English settlers during the
1800's: disgusting, filthy, ignorant, and uncivilized. Despite the reality of the English outlook at
that time in history, it bothers some movie-goers.
Ada plays her piano as a means of expression and, as one of the character says, "like a mood that
passes into you." Everything she is feeling comes out through the music. Holly Hunter is a very
talented actress: her facial expression and solo piano playing in this film are superb. Since she is
actually playing the piano, you get a sense of realism about the film, a bit of authenticity.
Another striking element of the film is the lighting. The film is generally bluish-grey, suggesting a
cold, barren place with no emotions and no life. When Ada goes to the shore to play her piano,
the sky lights up and the sun makes everything golden. The water swells with life, and joy is seen
upon Ada's face as she watches her child play. When night moves in, everything turns blue again.
The blueness depicts Ada's despair and loneliness, her silence.
Michael Nyman composed the music, which passionately enhances the overall effect of the film's
images. The only things lacking in the film are the explanation of who Ada's daughter's birth
father is and what is going to happen to the characters after we reach the end of the film. These
minor details were the only things that felt open-ended. On a more positive note, the film has
emotional intensity, great acting, beautifully framed shots, creative cinematography, and an
invitation to audience participation by means of empathy for the characters in the film. [Fall
1997]
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