The Piano, Jane Campion's 1993 romantic drama set in New Zealand during the 1850s, tells the erotic tale of a mute pianist and her daughter. The film stars Holly Hunter, Harvey Keitel, Sam Neill and Anna Paquin and features the unforgettable score by Michael Nyman, which became a best selling soundtrack.
Scotswoman, Ada McGrath is sold into marriage to a rich New Zealand landowner, Alistair Stewart. She takes with her a daughter, Flora and her piano, much to her new husband's annoyance. The piano is extremely treasured as Ada hasn't spoken a word since... she was six-years-old, instead she expresses herself through her playing and through sign language, which her daughter interprets.
When they arrive in New Zealand, Ada, Flora and the piano are dumped on a beach by the ships' crew and there's no one there to meet them. The mother and daughter are forced to spend the night sheltering on the beach, until Alistair arrives the next day with a Maori workforce. Alistair's men help move Ada's possessions; however, her cold-hearted husband leaves the piano behind, propelling Ada to suffer loss and anger.
Baines, Alistair's Maori tattooed friend and assistant, buys the piano and strikes an extraordinary deal with Ada where she teaches him to play, in return for the chance to earn her piano back, however, that's not the only conditions of their bargain. Initially, Ada loathes Baines, but very slowly they form a relationship that eventually leads to her sexual awakening and to a terrible confrontation.
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This is the film we will most remember Jane Campion for!
The piano is an artistic and evocative adult fairy tale that's famous for its beautiful tone and for Michael Myman's moving score. The film puts an innovative twist on a traditional love story and is beautifully moving. The characters are stubborn and insular, making this rousing tale of erotic obsession even more emotive and sincere.
Set in the mid-19th-century, this film tells the story of Ada, a mute single mother from Scotland who's sent to New Zealand for an arranged marriage. Her chief way of communication is playing her precious piano, but when her new husband sells it to his assistant, she finds herself making an astonishing deal with its new owner to guarantee its return.
This costume drama is infamous for its stunning performances, notably from Actress Holly Hunter, who earned the Best Actress award for her complex role as the emotive Ada - impressive when you take into account that she expressed herself completely without speaking (except for a couple of short voiceovers)!
Verdict
Jane Campion's The Piano is a ravishing masterpiece that has many powerful themes, all which deal with repressed passion. It's a very natural and beautiful motion picture, with slick visuals and a sensitive touch. It's obvious why it's considered one of the best films of the 1990s - well worth a watch!
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Please note this is a region 2 DVD and will require a region 2 (Europe) or region Free DVD Player in order to play. Ada, her nine-year-old daughter and her piano arrive to an arranged marriage in the remote bush of nineteenth century New Zealand. Of all her belongings her husband refuses to transport the piano and it is left behind on the beach. Unable to bear its certain destruction, Ada strikes a bargain with an illiterate tattooed neighbour. She may earn her piano back if she allows him to do certain things while she plays; one black key for a lesson. The arrangement draws all three deeper into a complex emotional, sexual bond remarkable for its naïve passion and frightening disregard for limits... Winner of 3 Oscars for Best Screenplay (Jane Campion), Best Actress (Holly Hunter) and Best Supporting Actress (Anna Paquin) and 11 awards from the Australian Film Institiute. Actors Harvey Keitel, Holly Hunter, Anna Paquin, Sam Neill, Kerry Walker, Genevieve Lemon & Ian Mune Director Jane Campion Certificate 15 years and over Year 1993 Screen Widescreen 1.85:1 Anamorphic Languages English - Dolby Digital (5.1) Duration 1 hour and 56 minutes (approx) Region Region 2 - Will only play on European Region 2 or multi-region DVD players.
Winner of the 1993 Cannes' Palme d'Or for Best Film and Best Actress for Holly Hunter, Jane Campion's third feature was widely hailed as a cinematic masterpiece. With Michael Nyman providing the music, the story centres around Ada (Hunter), a mute Scottish woman sent to New Zealand with her daughter (Anna Paquin) for an arranged marriage to lonely landowner Stewart (Sam Neill). When she arrives with her beloved piano in tow, Stewart forces her to leave it on the beach rather than lug it through the jungle. The estate manager, Baines (Harvey Keitel), watches and listens in amazement when Ada visits the beach to play and subsequently he makes a deal with Stewart to keep it at his own house. Baines is enchanted by both the piano and Ada and eventually makes a bargain of sexual favours whereby Ada can win back the instrument.
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