The Piano (1993)I've decided I liked this movie, but it is only a one time watch. The scene where the girls come in on the boat was great. The part where she was running through the forrest to see Keitel and her husband caught her, and they showed the close up of her face and she knew she was caught, was inspiring. Then the fingers scene was just horrific. While I liked all these things there are a lot of criticisms I have. It's going to sound like I didn't like the movie, but the parts I did like were so good that it makes up for the rest. Overall, I feel like the story was too one-dimensional.
I have issues with Holly Hunter because she always over-acts and that was the case in this movie as well. Although, to her credit, she was obviously directed to do so. I don't know any mute people at all, but I'm guessing that just because their mouth is shut they don't always have their lips clenched in a scowl. This is all minor, but the character didn't seem to make sense to me. She was a woman who knew what she wanted and was VERY impatient and what's the word.... Awe, fuck. I hate when this happens. She was impulsive? There was so much evidence of this, but she was in a loveless relationship forever. If this were a real person, she would not have had a bout of impulsiveness before this point and never moved like that. She also would not have not given up so easily on letting the piano go in the first place. There was a lot more, but I feel that if I continue it will just sound like complaining. The character only had two emotions angry or really pissed off.
It was a beautiful film with lots of wide-shots, which I love. It looked like the director was experimenting with showing 1st person too, which is bold and something I also love. Like when her husband was drinking tea and they showed his view into the cup. Personally, I feel that shots like that make the viewer feel like they are there, which is very important in period pieces like this.
I can't tell if I thought the symbolism was great or too much. Like when the piano went overboard and pulled her down with it. I can't really put into words why that made me uncomfortable. It was brilliant but I think the way it was directed made me feel uncomfortable. It pulled wide and showed it in an artsy way to kind of over-emphasize the symbolism. I think it should have been more graphic and realistic to maximize the drama. I'm not sure why I have a bug up my ass about this movie.
Here's what I appreciate about the story though: It really highlighted how women weren't people, but property. Not even just in the context of her marriage, but in society too. Even her daughter didn't view her as an authority figure. I feel like people don't really understand what it was like for women. Since I am a huge music lover, I was kind of wanting them to really show how music was her only way of expression to those who couldn't sign. They only seemed to focus on how she was obsessed with the piano, but not WHY she was obsessed with it. I don't know.
I promise I liked the movie. Especially when she realized she was caught running to Keitel. That was masterful film making. I appreciate the fact that the writer was also the director. You can't make a movie like this if someone else wrote it. I have a lot of criticism for what I would do differently, but I give props to the writer/director because she knew EXACTLY what she wanted. I've honestly never been so torn over a film. I just wish it had more depth and was less focused on the obsession. I'd give it like a 7 on a scale of 10. Without those 3 scenes it would have been a 4 or 5 though.
