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The Piano (1993)
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Overview
User Rating:
Release Date:
12 November 1993 (USA) morePlot:
A mute woman along with her young daughter, and her prized piano, are sent to 1850s New Zealand for an arranged marriage to a wealthy landowner, and she's soon lusted after by a local worker on the plantation. full summary | add synopsisAwards:
Won 3 Oscars. Another 54 wins & 25 nominations moreNewsDesk:
(133 articles)
Paquin: 'Fans find my nude scenes weird' (From digitalspy. 30 October 2009, 2:12 AM, PDT)
True Blood hits UK DVD!
(From The Hollywood News. 29 October 2009, 12:44 PM, PDT)
User Comments:
Magnificent, symbolic film masterpiece plays beautifully, like a piano. more (200 total)Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Holly Hunter | ... | Ada McGrath | |
| Harvey Keitel | ... | George Baines | |
| Sam Neill | ... | Alisdair Stewart | |
| Anna Paquin | ... | Flora McGrath | |
| Kerry Walker | ... | Aunt Morag | |
| Geneviève Lemon | ... | Nessie (as Genevieve Lemon) | |
| Tungia Baker | ... | Hira | |
| Ian Mune | ... | Reverend | |
| Peter Dennett | ... | Head Seaman | |
| Te Whatanui Skipwith | ... | Chief Nihe | |
| Pete Smith | ... | Hone | |
| Bruce Allpress | ... | Blind Piano Tuner | |
| Cliff Curtis | ... | Mana | |
| Carla Rupuha | ... | Heni - Mission Girl | |
| Mahina Tunui | ... | Mere - Mission Girl |
Additional Details
Also Known As:
La leçon de piano (France)Pleasure (Australia) (working title)
The Black Keys (Australia) (working title)
The Piano Lesson (Australia) (original script title)
more
MPAA:
Rated R for moments of extremely graphic sexuality.Parents Guide:
View content advisory for parentsRuntime:
121 minColor:
Color (Eastmancolor)Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 moreSound Mix:
DolbyCertification:
Iceland:12 (video rating) | Iceland:L | Brazil:16 | Philippines:R-18 | France:U | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Chile:18 | Finland:K-14 | Germany:12 | Hong Kong:III | Netherlands:16 | Portugal:M/16 | Singapore:M18 | South Korea:18 | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | UK:15 | USA:R | Malaysia:(Banned)Fun Stuff
Goofs:
Continuity: When the boat leaves the island, Ada trails her hand in the water, which is still and calm. On long shots, it is foaming from the action of the oars, and the boat on the water. moreQuotes:
Flora: Actually, to tell you the whole truth, Mother says that most people speak rubbish, and it's not worth it to listen.Aunt Morag: Well, that is a strong opinion.
Flora: Aye. It's unholy.
more
Soundtrack:
The Flowers of the Forest moreFAQ
What did Ada write on the piano key that she sent to George?Was Holly Hunter actually playing the piano?
How does the movie end?
more
more (200 total)
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There are very few female directors in the film industry that have been given proper acknowledgment or had their works introduced to mainstream filmgoers. Jane Campion is one of these precious few, a director who carefully paces and sculpts her works so that they magnificently flow like a musical interlude. "The Piano" is her ultimate masterpiece, a film of such simplicity, described with calm and tense complexity. Holly Hunter received an Oscar for her fascinating performance as Ada, a mute woman who is forced into an arranged marriage with a New Zealand landowner, played convincingly by Sam Neill, a native Australian actor himself. Ada journeys to New Zealand with her young daughter (Anna Paquin, also an Oscar-winner that year), few other possessions, and her treasured piano, a part of her that amplifies her voice that she cannot express through vocal communication.
I believe it would be wrong to assume that any of the characters are martyrs in this tragic story, nor would it be right to think Sam Neill's character a villain. You may think this is crazy, but I think the piano itself serves as both a good and bad omen for all that are involved. I would relate it to a "Pandora's box" of sorts, a treasure that exposes all the evil and sin in the world, but which also provides hope as well. The piano is Ada's sounding box, a tool that allows her to escape from a world that does not understand her, but that also threatens her moral compass, removing her from marital conventions and forces her to lose herself.
The performances in "The Piano" are particularly good, especially Holly Hunter's. It is interesting to note that all of Hunter's piano playing in the film is actually Hunter herself performing in front of us. You can visually and aurally feel the mood of Hunter's character through the music she plays. We the audience lose ourselves right along with her, lost upon a sea of music. We see why Keitel becomes enamored by her, and why Neill becomes overcome with jealousy and betrayal. Not many films would allow us to enter the emotions of all three main characters, but this film is truly an exception.
Rarely do we witness real beauty captured on film. "The Piano" is such a visually stunning film, it's almost intoxicating how its atmosphere sweeps across the screen. This landscape is equaled by the performances, bringing understanding and mystery to this wonder. Sometimes symbolism of this nature can be distracting to an audience. "The Piano" dares to follow this symbolic path, and hits a bullseye with full emotional force. Rating: Four stars.