Jane Campion's third feature broke her into the mainstream, as one of the best directors ever to come from Australia. She also wrote the screenplay, and what a marvelous, erotic story it is.
The story is set in the jungles of 19th century New Zealand, and the major characters are all former Brits. Ada (Holly Hunter) is an eccentric mute, a graceful woman whose communication with the world comes through her piano and her daughter Flora (Anna Paquin). Of illegitimate birth, precocious Flora is about ten years old. Ada is a mail order bride to Stewart (Sam Neill), an intense, moralistic and humorless man who has no understanding of Ada's nature. But his overseer George (Harvey Keitel) does. George is a lonely, depressive man. He has largely rejected Western culture and has adopted the ways of the Maori, who are native to the beautiful but swampy New Zealand tropics.
The centerpiece of the love triangle between Ada, Stewart and George is the piano. Ada has brought it with her from England to New Zealand. Because of the difficulty in transporting it, Stewart has left it on the beach. Stewart is clueless that the loss of the piano has caused Ada to reject him. George buys the piano from Stewart, on the condition that Ada give him lessons. The 'lessons' are a pretext for George to attempt to win the romantic affection from Ada that she has denied Stewart.
It is difficult not to gush when describing "The Piano". The cinematography (Stuart Dryburgh) is marvelous, capturing the nature of New Zealand's beaches and rain forests. The natives and the period English costumes add color and style. Hunter's performance is marvelously affected. Unlike most child actors, Paquin is completely natural, never posing or reciting. Her character is torn between mother and stepfather, and her dynamic loyalty doesn't seem artificial. Neill and Keitel are also good, generating an unreasonable, desperate longing for Ada.
Some welcome comic relief is provided by Stewart's middle-aged English relations, friends, and servants, which include Aunt Morag (Kerry Walker) and Nessie (Genevieve Lemon).
"The Piano" was nominated for eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design (Janet Patterson) and Best Film Editing (Veronika Jenet). Holly won as Best Actress, Paquin as Best Supporting Actress, and Campion won for her screenplay. Of the eight nominations, seven went to women. (85/100)
The mute wife of a settler teaches her lover to play the piano in colonial New Zealand. Directed by Jane Campion. Oscars for best actress Hunter, supp...More at HotMovieSale.com
This controversially erotic film from New Zealand established screenwriter-director Jane Campion as a universally recognized talent. Holly Hunter star...More at Family Video
One of the most critically acclaimed and highly awarded films of the year, The Piano arouses erotic passions and vengeful jealousies when Ada, a young...More at Buy.com
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