What are your impressions of the Piano? Perhaps you would
like to share your opinion
on the Piano with other moviewatchers. |
Jul 17, 2000 I have become fascinated by this amazing film and captivated by the talented Jane Campion. The imagery and the overall effects have made 'The Piano' the focus of my third year dissertation. If anyone can help me in my study of the films imagery, (especially the beach scenes) it would be very much appreciated, i can be contacted at the address below. Catherine
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Jul 16, 2000 Die Filmusik zerris zuerst mein Herz und dann meine Freundschaft zu meiner besten Freundin ! Trotzdem ein guter Film !
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Jun 11, 2000 I was brought up in New Zealand and now live in the UK. When I first watched this film I felt for the very first time cinema was representing the journey of my ancestors, one of whom had 4 husbands and arrived in NZ about the same time as Ada! I was so knocked out by the film, that as Head of Media Studies in an English comprehensive school I decided to teach it, firstly to a class of mixed ability 14 year olds. They were captivated. Over the last 7 years ago this film has been accessible to GCSE and A Level Media Studies and English Literature students. During this time the film has inspired discussion, poetry, gender debates, cinematic techniques in practical work, discussions on the history of cinema and great fun in our quest to follow the signifier Y that seems to represent the enigmatic protest revolving around Ada' s refusal to speak. This is a film to dive into. A must for any teacher of film or media, and of course on another level a masterpiece of cinema. By the way, boys from deprived backgrounds have been stunned to silence by the film. Has anybody else had the same experience? My examination board told me I was the first teacher to teach it in the UK. I have some marvellous coursework on it - but on another level it has given the students vision and some insoluable mysteries. Also useful when teaching the Gothic genre, particularly its X references to the Dracula Myth.
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Feb 5, 2000 Caroleis! I first got the soundtrack and it was kind of magic music with that repeated melody that comes in divert forms and u never stop listening to it! and i did have a very strange feeling while listening to it when i saw the movie, i felt that i was in another world, amazing movie full of sences, it is a movie with a soul! very light and touching! i guess that i will see it again and again and that i will never stop and i will find each time a new sence for it.
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Jan 11, 2000 I have a piano sitting in my dining room, I always knew I wanted to learn how to play, yet it sat there silently. After watching The Piano- my eyes opened. I want to play- I'm going to take lessons soon. Holly Hunter was so amazing- she portrayed her character with such perfection. I believe everyone who watches The Piano- will in some tiny way- crave to play. Mariannah Curran
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Dec 5, 1999 I have just started studying the piano for A-level media. I absolutely love the film and have just recently been set an exam question on it. I would be really grateful for any ideas you have on both the film and the question. The question is: At first glance the Piano can be classified as a costume drama. What makes such a generic label unsatisfactory? Thanks
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Dec 4, 1999 I have seen "The Piano" no less than six times, and I love it every time I see it. I play the piano myself, and especially like to play "The Heart Asks Pleasure First"(featured on the beach).I find that watching the film helps me add new interpretations to the pieces whenever I play them.If anyone else plays these pieces, I would be interested to hear your feedback.(umsuress@cc.umanitoba.ca) Harvey Keitel is marvellous as Baines--I could not imagine any other actor doing as fine a job as he did. Bravo to the entire cast! Stephanie from Canada.
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Nov 9, 1999 that is a cool film i like it much chris chan
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Oct 14, 1999 I saw The Piano for the first time last night by accident. I fell asleep and woke up to the picture of this women standing on a beach surrounded by trunks and a vomiting child. I couldn't stop watching. The movie was mesmerizing, frightening, and oh so sensual. How did I miss this movie when it was in the theaters? Bravo! Madeline
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Oct 10, 1999 I really want to say that the first time I saw this movie I was really young so, I couldn't understand some aspects of the movie, but anyway, I watched it many times because I was so impressed by Holly and Anna. Now, 6 years later I saw it again and really coudln't get it off of my mind because now I can see things as they are. I can see that Baines fall in love with Ada since the moment she played the piano in the beach, and why not? She played Michael Nyman´s adorable and lovely music and the way Holly Hunter plays the solo is so passionated, that I really understand why he went so mad about Ada. One question I have is that I really I don 't know if Stewart was in love with Ada too. The scenes of the fight between Ada and Stewart are remarkably violent because Ada is so small and delicated and the way she tried to scape from him and the moment when she stands up after he cutted her finger off, the way she walked and fall in the rain, her expression those moments are deeply dramatic because they are so real. Undeniably Flora has a so convincent rol, and you can see that she had a great personality like her mom. The scenes of the piano at the beach and the waves, are so beautiful that I really believe that this picture is a piece of art. I think that Jane Campion is a remarkable woman because of her sight and special talent, but I must say that "Portrait of a Lady" is not even close of being as good as the piano and it's not terrible but I didn't really like it much, I don't know what happenned to Jane. The way Ada is , was very real in Holly's performance, I mean, I really started to believe that Holly couldn't speak and that she was mute too, but that is because she is a great actress, my favorite, and she can really make you think that she didn't wanted to speak, I know it sounds weird but I do like Stewart, the way he gave Ada another chance, I think that it counts, of course that he was nice with the girl and everything but since the moment he didn't care about left the piano behind and sold it to his neighbor, it was for sure that Ada will never love him. Anna's charachter is really important for the story, I don't know why her father stopped loving Ada or what but, for Ada it was really important to have a daughter because like she was mute, she was the one who told everybody what her mother mean to say all the time, and she is important for the development of the picture because she was the one who took the key of the piano and brought it to Stewart instead of Baines and everything happened so tragic. I don't understand either why Ada wanted to die with her piano, I mean, she had her daughter, Stewart left her go, she had her love with her, Baines and everything. At the beginning of the picture I was not able to see that Ada felt an atraction for Baines too, because I'm sure that if she found him horrible she will not had been agree with him about" one key for one visit", but like she was starting to fall in love too she did all those things.I have to say again that the music is so beautiful, but really beautiful it gets you.Morag and Nessie are quite interesting I think and I like their characters too. The allussions to the story of the play in the threater about an abusive crazy husband that wants to kill his wife because she desobey him it is a clear allussion to the story of The Piano too, because even when Alisdair Stewart, didn't kill Ada, he almost did because he cutted her finger because he knew that the piano was her life and with one finger less, can you imagine what she felt? I believe that everything, the music, the charachters, the actors, the director, the script, New Zealand, the piano, and everything makes this film not an ordinary film, it is art.
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Sept 18, 1999 Never has a movie intrigued me more than "The Piano". In a world where many a poorly done movie is given an oscar, this movie has stood out as a ruby in the sands. Its tales of lust, passion, violence, anger, and danger have been combined so delicately, woven so intricately that when one watches he too becomes the movie. In his soul or mind he too feels with Ada her love for her paino. We too can share in stewart 's uncontrollable passions, and we too can dance on the sands like flora to the sounds of the piano. For it is after all the music from the movie that has one me over. How it alone speaks volumes and volumes of silent words from her heart. It is the music that premeates the movie and makes the movie what it is. For you see i understand with Ada, i too am a pianist, and to me too the piano is my voice.
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Sept 5, 1999 I thought the piano was an extraordinary movie!! I never thought I would watch it but it turned out that we had to watch it for my year 11 exams!! I absolutely loved it!! The impression Ada gives us is something you wouldn't expect to see in one of those olden day movies! It really has a 90's feel to it!!!! See ya... Michelle
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Sept 2, 1999 From the very first image I saw on TV during the Cannes Film Festival in 1993 - Ada playing the piano on the beach while Flora dances among the waves - I knew this had to be a film like no other. I've seen it so many times now that I know the scenes and dialogues by heart, and yet it remains as much of a mystery as it was on the very first day. This is the kind of film you can go on analyzing for hours, and yet it's also one of the most intense, passionate, violent films you could see. One of the most sensual too. The characters are intriguing and complex - Holly Hunter, Harvey Keitel, Sam Neill and Anna Paquin have never been more convincing than in 'The Piano'. Even Sam Neill, who might have been the 'bad guy' of the story, is really moving in the part of the husband driven mad by desire. Six years after I first saw 'The Piano', I'm still haunted by images and sounds and the memory of Ada. Mélanie
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Sept 1, 1999 I havent watched The Piano, but I have listened to its soundtrack. So captivated and touched by it that I believe the movie will be just as good. In fact, being familiar with the story of The Piano, I relate to it as I listen to the beautiful pieces on the album which transcend both solemnity and passion. Anyone who has watched the epic will buy this soundtrack; and those, like me, who have not caught it will be drawn to it because of this truly amazing soundtrack. Nicole, Singapore.
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July 25, 1999 I would just like the say that since I have seen the movie, it has renewed my faith in the film industry (despite the fact that it was made in 1992). It is a brilliantly constructed movie, using techniques such as cinematography and soundtrack to enhance the themes involved. Anyway, the other reason I am posting this is to find out if anyone out there has any information on The Piano they have found in there travels (i.e. narrative, structure, cinematography, soundtrack, any of the themes etc.). I have exams coming up next Friday, and am in desperate need of new materials to help me study. So if anyone has anything at all on The Piano (web sites etc.), please email me at hamptonm@netspace.net.au. Thanks.
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July 10, 1999 I play the piano, when i saw the movie for the first time i was 14,. The movie was rated and my heart was broken. I saw it, i was under my feelings and fell into a sea of emotions that i hadn't discovered. It's heart breaking and takes me aweay my reality. The cinemaphotography: i 've never seen something like that, it was huge, it was tridimensional, its sadness and emotion makes it an unforgettable movie which it's going to be in the eternity until good and real feelings are over.
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July 8, 1999 There is just one thing to be said about the movie (or "art" which I prefer to call it) I`ve seen almost 50 (!!) times, The Piano; Brilliant! The story, the actors (actresses), the music and the combination of it all had an enormous affect on me, it`s a movie that will always have a special place in my heart and mind. Especially Anna Paquin makes an adorable effort! Love from Jorunn, Norway
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June 28, 1999 "The Piano" was one of the greatest films, I've ever seen in my life. I was fascinated from this film. I'm playing the piano too and so I enjoyed the music. I love the music in this film. For the 4th time I have seen this film. I recommend them to all my friends. Susanne from Austria (not Australia!!!)
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June 23, 1999 For some unknown reason, I missed this movie when it was originally released. I will tell you that I have carefully watched it eleven times within the last three weeks. My God! I am in truth, a Holly Hunter fan, but was not prepared for the effect this film has had on me. Very, oh so VERY rarely does a film weave such a perfect tapestry of script, acting, cinematography and music. The themes presented are universal and very real. And timeless. Isolation, hope, fear, uncertainty, passion....have never been captured before on film quite like this. A masterpiece of the first order. John from the Alamo City
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May 28, 1999 I've seen The Piano for the fourth time.Once in cinema and the others three in home. It was the most brilliant movie ever been made, I thought. I enjoyed the music throughout the show. It's soothing and relaxing. The plot was very superb and the scenery was picturesque. I even bought the soundtrack of the movie. It took me nearly half a year until I finally find it. You know, it kinda hard to find such beautiful soundtrack these days in Malaysia! Matt from Malaysia
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May 26, 1999 I am wanting to know if anyone has any resources on the narrative structure, cinematography, editing and/or sound for "The Piano". It is for my Uni exams. Katherine
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May 10, 1999 I thought the piano was an extraordinary movie!! I never thought I would watch it but it turned out that we had to watch it for my year 11 exams!! I absolutely loved it!! The impression Ada gives us is something you wouldn't expect to see in one of those olden day movies! It really has a 90's feel to it!!!! See ya... Michelle
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Mar 17, 1999 I was fascinated with this movie, too. Sometimes I wonder what is the theme behind the script. The woman's ego ? Anyway I try to watch it again and again. Hiromi from Japan
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Mar 1, 1999 I loved this film. The music is absolutely amazing. I'm learning how to
play the music Ada plays when she returns on the beach. It's name is
"the heart asks pleasure first (the promise/the sacrifice)". The actors
are also amazing, particularly Holly Hunter. This film is undoubtfully
the best film I've ever seen.
Your Web site is super!
From: Claudia
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Feb 22, 1999 Two years ago,I watched this movie by accident.I was bored about the TV-program and zapped through the channels.I just saw a few shots and was fascinated by the film immediately.This is one if the best movies I`ve ever seen A good movie has to be like a symphony,a mixture of excellent script,excellent actors and excellent music--this movie is just PERFRCT!!! It touched me deeply and I`m obsessed with it,I`ve seen it so many times I particularly love the tone of Ada`s voice in the beginning,her inner strenght and the warmth of the scenes in the house because of the light orange color. There are just two other movies,that deeply impressed me since this one:
Bye,Martha
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Feb 1, 1999 I was moved beyond compare the first time I saw The Piano. And, with each additional viewing, that feeling has not changed. Everything about the film is just perfect. The music itself is incredible also. I listen to the CD and all the memories and the passion come back to me. There are so many wonderful performances, yet Holly Hunter shines the brightest. She said so much more, without ever speaking a word, than scores of actresses have done before and since. The Piano is by far one of the best films ever produced.
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Jan 9, 1999 This is undeniably one of the best movies I have ever seen. It has the passion, and the power that I have never experienced in a movie before. The actors were able to unleash this power into the film, and it was clearly felt throughout. It sent out a very powerful message, a feeling that was unmistakable, and it all came about around the powerful, all-consuming will of one tiny woman. Elise33
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Dec 29, 1998 I too loved The Piano, and find Jane Campions work inspiring. I am a photographer and am awed at the photography in her films. At the moment I am completing my dissertation on the 'Viewers gaze in film', and am comparing The Piano with Terminator 2, in particular looking at the ways the woman is portrayed in both movies. I would be very grateful if any one could help me and give their opinions on this subject. If anyone has any ideas on how I could 'beef-up' my dissertation with a primary source, i.e. getting information by myself rather than from books (secondary sources). Please write back and let me know of anything:- jonesamanda@hotmail.com Many Thanks,
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Dec 15, 1998 I was about to crying when the movie was finished. It's the best movie that I've ever seen in years. The entire movie is a common place for the passions and the feelings. This movie has all the ingredientes that the American movies don't have to make the people feel the extasis. Wonderful. Amazing.
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Dec 9, 1998 It was such a nice movie. Yes, I absolutely agree that musics of this movie were terrific. I don't play the piano, but I'd like to learn how to play the piano and want to play this kind of good music, someday. Now, I'll recommend 'the Piano' to all of my friends. Finally, Keep this in mind. 'We can hear the voice of soul when it is so silent. So try to listen to it..' ~~~~~~~from Nova~~~~`
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Sept 8, 1998 The music in The Piano was very nice and I wish I could play it, my hands are a bit too small to do it now. One thing that really annoyed me was all the mud on the set and they all wore the same big long dresses all through the mud. Brendan P.S. Is it possible for a piano to sound that good when it has just been rocked around a boat and has been sitting in the sand getting very wet???
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May 24, 1998 I too have just recently become a 'Piano' fan. I saw it, loved it, bought it, and am now looking for it on DVD. No luck so far. The sights, sounds, innuendo and passion all combine to create a movie that begs to be viewed again and again. To those who feel that Sam Neill's character gets treated unfairly by Ada, I suggest that you find and read the book of the same name. It helps you to understand the characters even more, and you come to realize that Sam's character isn't good or bad, just exceptionally clueless. He simply doesn't understand Ada's need for her piano, he has absolutely no sexual experience or passion, and he thinks that Ada is trying to spoil his land deal by trying to get her piano back from Baines. How can all of this compete with the frank sexuality and gentle appreciation of Ada' love for the piano exhibited by Baines? Harvey Kietel completed understands and becomes Baines. His encouraging pronouncement of her first resentful scale as "Lovely" and his exasperated "Why five? I just want to lie", make me fall right in love with him every time. All in all, a classic that I will keep at the front of my library for viewing whenever I am looking for a totally satisfiying experience. Oh, and thanks so much to Jane for not being afraid to give us a happy ending!
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May 6, 1998 The Piano is the best movie I have ever seen. It moved me like no other movie ever could. Holly Hunter portrayed Ada like no actress could. The symbolism is so deep and the movie has a profound spirituality to it. The Piano is more than a movie, it's an experience.
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April 21, 1998 My opinion of The Piano is quite simple. It is quite possibly one of the best films that I have ever watched. I loved it, mostly because Sam Neill is in it. And whoever said that they show compassion for Neill's character, and asked if they were alone, believe me, you're not. After all, was it really right for Ada to not even try to love him, he was just trying to be a good husband. (although I must say, chopping off her finger was going a bit far!) Any way I loved the movie. ps..... do you know how I could find a mailing address to get Sam Neill's autograph? Anyone?
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Mar 8, 1998 What parts of our ourselves are we willing to bargain for? At what depths will we sink to get the life that we want? Ada had played her way through these questions, arduously as one might have to learn a difficult new piece of music given them to them by their master. Ada, was not one to be her own. Not in that time. Not in those times when women were seen as property. Luggage for anothers journey. Yet, we all know the truth of humanity. She knew it and expressed it in her silence. If you listened well enough, you could hear her screaming her passion. Her silence was so loud, it deafened. Baines was always listening. An uncommon man in his commonness, had the ear of life. Her husband (Sam Neil) could just about hear her voice towards the end. He found her words just near his mind. He could not however, feel it in his heart. He wouldn't know how. Ada was in love with more then being in love. Her husband wanted only love at its surface. He would drown and die, to reach her. Ada knew the depths to love. She sought those depths in her plummet. She would drown to live, to gain her voice again. In her drowning, the most moving scene on film I have yet to experience, she claimed life. Renouncing our passions to a higher power then ourselves, is truly owning love. She became her own master. She was love. For which Baines would come to cherish. Could anyone not be moved by this film? It changed my life! Hurray for Jane Campion for feeling life so acutely.
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Mar 8, 1998 I have just watched the Piano on video. I am not excusing the brutality. But there were other dimensions to his character, which is what made it such a brilliant movie. (I had heard only that he was brutal and terrible, and was surprised at how much more to the character there was.) I see Stewart as having brought this woman out to marry, knowing she did not speak. He is kind to her child. He gives her time. She is moody and hot-tempered. She does not appear to consumate the marriage. He gives her more time, he seems so cautious with her in the beginning, what other people saw as "reserved". He has no understanding of her. She treats him coldly. And then he sees her with Baines. I felt sorry for Flora, the child. Stewart was kind to her. She was obviously threatened at her life going into chaos. I will probably get flamed for this interpretation!
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Jan 26, 1998 Hi, I really like the music in the piano. I was just wondering if anyone knows the name of the piece of music that is played when Ada and Flora go back to the beach. It's in the scene when Flora plays a little duet with her mum. If ANYONE could help I'd really love it. Thanx
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Okt 14, 1997 I have always had an innate feeling for the piano. I'm not a great pianist although I've been told I could be with practice. The sounds it makes and the emotions I feel when playing are exhausting. I am physically drained after playing. Watching this movie I felt the same way. So many emotions washed over and I felt as though I was a part f it. It showed the emotions I feel when playing and no other movie can replace what I feel when I watch it.
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Sept 18, 1997 simply one of most remarkable and brilliant movies ever made.
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July 23, 1997 Your page of the film 'The Piano' is beautifuly made, especially the quotes around it. 'The Piano' is one of my favorites movies, the photography was so beautiful I bought the laserdisc to fully appreciate it. The first time I saw the film I was very impact by the performance of Holly Hunter, she almost made me cry at the end when Stewart clipped her a 'wing'. That scene was very well-acted by Holly. The whole movie is such a piece of art, I think no movie will ever matched it in years. Thanks again for a wonderful page. Hey I bought the music too, it is so nice and at the same time it is so melancholic. Bye.
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July 1, 1997 The Piano is my favorite movie. Harvey is the most incredible sexy man. I bought the movie and watch it at least every 6 months. The music, the ocean, the mud, the rain forest, the actors...incredible. Holly Hunter was a perfect Ada and Anna Pacquin her perfect daughter. Sam Neill a perfect creep. I was floored by the scene when George got under the piano and caressed the hole in Ada's stocking.
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May 7, 1997 The most wonderful deeply moving film ever made... I am drawn to it like no other. Please help me love it further by helping me find information on the cinematography by Stuart Dryburgh. It's an assignment for university. Your help would be so appreciated.
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Apr 4, 1997 Dear Fellow movie enthusiasts.... I am interested in a feminist reading of The Piano...
Thanks.
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Sep 15, 1996 To whom it may concern, I am searching for information in relation to cinema sound, particularly focusing on; What' is the power of sound, How does sound function within the formal system of the film? How does film interact with other stylistic techniques of film? I am directing these questions with interest towards the film 'The Piano'. I would greatly appreciate your comments or any relevent contacts. I am contacable at the below address. Thankyou for your time,
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Sep 6, 1996 When I first saw "The Piano", my husband asked what I had thought of it. I said in a shakey voice that it was not a movie;it was an event. I had never in my life seen any movie like it. When it lost out to Steven's movie, I was shattered. I had to go into work late just to handle the disappointment of its losing. I came to admire Steven's movie, but I will never admit that The Piano is not the best movie of that year or any year. It is and has been now almost 3 years, my favorite film, of all time. For a short while there, I feel wildly in love with Braveheart. But then I realized that it was because of Angus Macfadyen who plays Robert the Bruce. The man really knows how to stand there and look beautiful. He could be Baines. That is it too, I always say well if he could play Baines then .... I compare every movie, every actor to The Piano. I have given my older brother the soundtrack, and he says that it is the most beautiful music that he has EVER heard. To describe The Piano to me is like describing the wind or the sea itself. It is so much a part of my soul and spirit that I do not separate the two sometimes. To say that I love the movie is to say it is the best of all worlds. I have seen it at least 25 times now. Do you correspond with Young-soo of Korea??? She is fun to talk to is she not? THE PIANO FOREVER!!!!!
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Sep 5, 1996 The Piano is my very favourite film. I have seen it 94 times (I keep a tally), and I find it to be one of the most intriguing films of the decade. Why? This film is absolutely note-perfect, it is a rain-forest rhapsody. It is one of those rare films that only comes along every five years or so - a film that is the exception to the rule of everything that people say is wrong with film today. There is no eroticism, just sex, no magic, just manipulation, etc. The Piano is, of course, the exception to the rule, and it marks a milestone for its actors (Holly Hunter, Harvey Keitel, Sam Neill, and Anna Paquin) as well as for the director, Jane Campion. Jane Campion has an incredible sense of style with her film - she works her characters at a personal level, and her direction is sensitive and ethereal. Also, her original screenplay is one of the most extraordinary scripts that I have ever read. She is a gift to the world through the acceptance that she has for her characters and her plot line. Instead of explaining everything, she leaves the characters all the more to us in allowing us to think for them, almost. The performances that Campion draws from her cast are incredible - Holly Hunter's Ada McGrath is so personal, and such a likeable enigma, and watching her character as it unfolds from caring nothing for Baines to taking each step towards loving him is utterly believeable. Harvey Keitel trades in his hardboiled persona to portray Baines with reserves of tenderness and imagination between his gruffness, and his unintentional manner of manipulating Ada is almost understandable. Sam Neill's Alisdair Stewart is a folded, cloud-eyed taciturn Victorian man, utterly convincing and heartbreakingly sad. Ada's 'exploration' of Stewart is one of the most disturbing scenes in the film, because the innocence and brutality are very co-existent. This aspect is what separates the film from just another love-triangle, but a love triangle where people are interested more in themselves. The performance by Anna Paquin, as Flora McGrath, is one of the most incredible examples of a child acting in film history. She has a sensitive underlying between her angry, petulant exterior, and she was definitely deserving of that Oscar. Jane Campion is to be commended for her work with both cast and crew in this film. It is a rare gem, the kind of film that will never, ever be seen again. It is both visually and psychologically intense, and is literally spellbinding. I would not hesitate to call The Piano the best film that I have ever seen.
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 Home | Jane Campion | Holly Hunter | Harvey Keitel | Sam Neill | Anna Paquin Plot summary | Picture gallery | Sound | Movie opinion Author: Magnus Hjelstuen |
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