THE PIANO

'''The Piano''' is a 1993 Academy Award-winning film about a mute pianist and her daughter, set during the mid-19th century in a rainy, muddy frontier New Zealand backwater. The film was written and directed by Jane Campion, and stars Holly Hunter, Harvey Keitel, Sam Neill and Anna Paquin. It features a score for the piano by Michael Nyman that became a bestselling soundtrack album. Hunter played her own piano pieces for the film, and also served as teacher for Paquin, earning herself three different screen credits. The film was an international co-production between Jan Chapman Films Australia and Ciby 2000 France.

Contents

Synopsis

Responses

Awards

Won

Nominated

Interpretations

Soundtrack

Trivia

References

External links

Synopsis

''The Piano'' tells the story of Scotswoman Ada McGrath (Hunter), who is sold into marriage by her father to frontiersman Alistair Stewart (Neill). She is shipped off with her young daughter Flora (Paquin) to live with Stewart as his wife in his native New Zealand. She has not spoken a word since she was six years old, expressing herself instead through sign language (for which her daughter serves as the interpreter) and through her piano playing.
Her new husband does not appreciate her fixation with music, however, and abandons the piano on the beach where Ada, her daughter, and their belongings have been unceremoniously deposited by the ship that ferried them from Scotland. When the instrument is sold to their neighbour George Baines (Keitel) in exchange for land, Ada is asked to give him piano lessons. Baines offers Ada the return of her piano in exchange for escalating sexual demands. She gradually develops affection for Baines and the pair pursue an affair.
When her husband discovers the affair, he initially tries to lock her into their house, then attempts to trust her. Ada sends her daughter to deliver a package to Baines, containing a piano key with an inscribed love declaration. Her daughter Flora disapproves of the affair, instead informing Stewart who punishes Ada by chopping off one of her fingers and threatening further mutilation if she continues the affair with Baines.
Finally, Ada and Stewart divorce, and Ada moves away together with Baines. She attempts to drown herself during the boat journey to their new home by ordering the piano to be thrown overboard and placing her foot in the loops of rope so that she is pulled into the sea with it. However, as she sinks through the water, she chooses to live instead, untangles herself, and swims to the surface, leaving the piano on the ocean floor.
In an epilogue she describes how she is living with Baines in Nelson and has started to give piano lessons in their new home. She has also started to learn how to speak, and adds that she is regarded as the town freak - "which satisfies."

Responses

The film won the 1993 ''Palme d'Or'' (Golden Palm, shared with Chen Kaige's ''Farewell My Concubine'') at the Cannes Film Festival. In 1994, the film won Academy Awards for Best Actress in a Leading Role (Holly Hunter), as well as Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Anna Paquin) and Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen. Anna Paquin was the second youngest person to win an Academy Award. It was nominated for Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Director, Best Film Editing and Best Picture. Hunter's award was notable for being the only time the award has been presented to an actor who does not speak onscreen.
Critical reaction was overwhelmingly supportive. Roger Ebert called it "one of the most enchanting love stories ever made." In an Entertainment Weekly sample of critics at the time of release, ''The Piano'' scored a unanimous 'A' rating; a feat that only a handful of other films have been able to manage.

Awards

Won

★ 'Academy Awards':

★
★ Best Actress (Holly Hunter)

★
★ Best Screenplay - Original (Jane Campion)

★
★ Best Supporting Actress (Anna Paquin)

★ Australian Film Institute:

★
★ Best Actor (Harvey Keitel)

★
★ Best Actress (Holly Hunter)

★
★ Best Cinematography (Stuart Dryburgh)

★
★ Best Costume Design (Janet Patterson)

★
★ Best Director (Jane Campion)

★
★ Best Editing (Veronika Jenet)

★
★ 'Best Film'

★
★ Best Original Music Score (Michael Nyman)

★
★ Best Production Design

★
★ Best Screenplay - Original (Jane Campion)

★
★ Best Sound

★ 'BAFTA Awards':

★
★ Best Actress (Holly Hunter)

★
★ Best Costume Design (Janet Patterson)

★
★ Best Production Design (Andrew McAlpine)

★ Boston Film Critics:

★
★ Best Actress (Holly Hunter)

★ Chicago Film Critics:

★
★ Best Actress (Holly Hunter)

★
★ Best Score (Michael Nyman)

★ Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics:

★
★ Best Actress (Holly Hunter)

★ 'Golden Globe Awards':

★
★ Best Actress - Drama (Holly Hunter)

★ Independent Spirit Awards:

★
★ Best Foreign Film, Australia/New Zealand

★ London Film Critics:

★
★ Actress of the Year (Holly Hunter)

★
★ 'Film of the Year'

★ Los Angeles Film Critics:

★
★ Best Actress (Holly Hunter)

★
★ Best Cinematography

★
★ Best Director (Jane Campion)

★
★ Best Screenplay (Jane Campion)

★
★ Best Supporting Actress (Anna Paquin)

★ National Board of Review:

★
★ Best Actress (Holly Hunter)

★ National Society of Film Critics:

★
★ Best Actress (Holly Hunter)

★
★ Best Screenplay (Jane Campion)

★ New York Film Critics:

★
★ Best Actress (Holly Hunter)

★
★ Best Director (Jane Campion)

★
★ Best Screenplay (Jane Campion)

★ Southeastern Film Critics:

★
★ Best Actress (Holly Hunter)

★
★ Best Director (Jane Campion)

★
★ 'Best Picture'

★ Writers Guild of America (WGA):

★
★ Best Screenplay - Original (Jane Campion)

Nominated

★ 'Academy Awards':

★
★ Best Cinematography (Stuart Dryburgh)

★
★ Best Costume Design (Janet Patterson)

★
★ Best Director (Jane Campion)

★
★ Best Editing (Veronika Jenet)

★
★ 'Best Picture'

★ American Cinema Editors:

★
★ Best Edited Feature Film (Veronika Jenet)

★ American Society of Cinematographers:

★
★ Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Theatrical Releases (Stuart Dryburgh)

★ Australian Film Institute:

★
★ Best Supporting Actor (Sam Neill)

★
★ Best Supporting Actress (Kerry Walker)

★ 'BAFTA Awards':

★
★ Best Cinematography

★
★ Best Director (Jane Campion)

★
★ Best Editing

★
★ 'Best Film'

★
★ Best Score (Michael Nyman)

★
★ Best Screenplay - Original (Jane Campion)

★
★ Best Sound

★ Directors Guild of America (DGA):

★
★ Best Director (Jane Campion)

★ 'Golden Globe Awards':

★
★ Best Director (Jane Campion)

★
★ Best Original Score (Michael Nyman)

★
★ 'Best Picture - Drama'

★
★ Best Screenplay (Jane Campion)

★
★ Best Supporting Actress (Anna Paquin)

Interpretations

Some regard ''The Piano'' as a feminist film about a woman trying to maintain control over her own life in an age when women were considered the property of their husbands. Others see this interpretation to be compromised by the heroine's capitulation to, and apparent enjoyment of, Baines's sexual blackmail.

Soundtrack

:''For more details, see The Piano (soundtrack).
The score for the film was written by Michael Nyman, and included the acclaimed piece 'The Heart Asks Pleasure First', additional pieces were 'Big My Secret', 'The Mood That Passes Through You, 'Silver Fingered Fling', 'Deep Sleep Playing' and 'The Attraction Of The Peddling Ankle'. Although The sheet music has sold many hundred thousands of copies there seems to be a mystery around exactly how many albums sold in the period 1993-1996. Rumours of royalty avoidance abound. This album is rated in the top 100 Soundtrack albums of all time and Nymans work is regarded as a key voice in the film which has a mute lead character. (Entertainment Weekly October 12 2001.pp44)

Trivia

Casting the role of Ada was a difficult process. Sigourney Weaver was Campion's first choice, but she turned down the role because she was taking a break from movies at the time. Juliette Binoche was considered for the role at one stage. ([1]) Jennifer Jason Leigh was also considered but she couldn't meet with Campion to read the script because she was shooting the film ''Rush'' at the time. ([2])

References

★ Cheshire, Ellen. ''Jane Campion''. Great Britain: Pocket Essentials, 2000.

★ Kaufman, Cynthia. "Colonialism, Purity, and Resistance in The Piano." ''Socialist Review'' 24 (1995): 251-55.

External links

★

★ Roger Ebert's review