The Piano
THE PIANO (15)
D: Jane Campion
Miramax/CIBY 2000 (Jan Chapman)
New Zealand/Australia/France 1993
120 mins
Drama/Romance
W: Jane Campion
DP: Stuart Dryburgh
Ed: Veronika Janet
Mus: Michael Nyman
PD: Andrew McAlpine
Cos: Janet Patterson
Holly Hunter (Ada McGrath), Sam Neill
(Alisdair Stewart), Harvey Keitel (George Baines), Anna Paquin(Flora McGrath), Kerry Walker (Aunt Morag), Genevieve Lemon (Nessie), Tungla Baker
(Hira)
The Piano is very much an art house film, but also very
accessible for a mainstream audience.
Ava, a mute Scottish woman, is sent to a remote pacific
island for an arranged marriage, accompanied by her young daughter and her beloved piano, which is left stranded on the beach where they land.
The piano becomes the property of a new owner, a
facially-tattooed farmer, whom Ava has a sexual affair with in order to win it back.
This powerful drama of lust & sexual awakening is
beautifully photographed and acted, especially by Holly Hunter in the lead role, and Michael Nyman's original music suits the visuals perfectly.
There are some moments which don't take the story anywhere
and make the film seem a little overlong, but it remains a powerful and haunting watch.
8/10
