Jane Campion’s 1993 drama set in 1851 New Zealand, The Piano, has never felt more relevant than it feels now. Holly Hunter’s Oscar-winning performance is at the heart of a daring, bold film about the healing power of passion and intimacy.
This movie drives home the importance of the close relationships that help shape the human spirit. The Piano teaches us the consequences (positive and negative) of acting upon our inner desires.
Hunter plays a mute woman named Ada McGrath who enters into an arranged marriage with a man, Alisdair Stewart (Sam Neill), who doesn’t seem always seem to have the best interests of Ada and her daughter, Flora (Anna Paquin), in mind.
This film begins with the arrival of Ada and Flora on the New Zealand beach where Ada’s precious piano is placed. Claiming it is too heavy, Alisdair suggests that the piano cannot come home with Ada, so she becomes clearly upset and disgruntled by that decision that is made by her new husband.
Flora tries to support her mother and her wish to keep her piano, but Alisdair is determined in terms of the final decision he makes on the topic. It is debatable whether those concerns of the husband are appropriate to meet Ada’s rather simple desire.
We meet a man named George Baines (Harvey Keitel) who wears makeup on his face to display his association with the Māori people. It isn’t clear how George will fit into this story from the outset, but he has a distinct role in the movie and, perhaps, the part that steers the film the most in the direction it is headed.
Keitel and Hunter are mesmerizing together. Hunter commands the attention of the viewer by not being able to speak, as the movie relies on voice-over narration to express her inner thoughts and emotions.
Hunter helps create the emotions that are displayed on-screen seamlessly in one of the actress’s most profound performances in a career filled with ambitious performances (Living Out Loud from 1998 immediately comes to mind as another one of her greatest roles).
George eventually obtains the piano for Ada to play as one may expect. Stuck in her dull arranged marriage to her new husband, Ada finds that George is much more interesting as a man of many diverse interests. He has a calming demeanor about him that intrigues her.
A passionate affair ensues that is ultimately discovered by Alisdair. This is where the movie excels in showing the consequences of Ada’s actions, which could be deemed selfish if one didn’t understand the character’s needs and motivations.
This torrid sexual encounter between George and Ada gives the film a distinct edge as it proves the risks Ada will take in order to be happy. Those risks include jeopardizing her perfectly comfortable lifestyle with her daughter to find passion and emotional freedom.
Sam Neill is admirable for taking a role that could be equated to Billy Zane’s in Titanic. Neill’s husband character stands in the way of Ada’s freedom and her artistic and sexual forms of expression. Neill ably captures his character’s flawed nature to a tee.
Paquin delivers a first-rate performance even if it may not have deserved the Oscar it won for Best Supporting Actress in a year in which Rosie Perez hit it out of the park in Peter Weir’s brilliant Fearless. Still, Paquin remains heartfelt in her early work and has a way about herself that makes this performance a solid one.
Hunter gives the performance of a lifetime, showing many layers of a woman whose passions are suppressed by the trappings of her marriage.
Paquin and Hunter have an unforgettable on-screen rapport together, which makes their bond that much more believable. These two characters lean on one another and thrive on their interaction with one another.
You may ask why The Piano is so relevant now. In a time when women frequently choose independence and careers over marriage, this movie shows the audience how the need for passion and art seems to be greater than the need for financial security if that security comes at too large an emotional price.
Hunter tears into her role with unparalleled ferocity. Those scenes at the end where she chooses to save her life and give up her past are beautifully orchestrated. Ada is a fierce, strong, independent character who doesn’t have to conform to find her happiness in life.
If there is a flaw in The Piano, it is the way in which the men aren’t as well developed as the women. They seem to function more as plot devices than as actual three-dimensional people, although Keitel manages to bring a lot more to the role than what was probably on the pages of the screenplay.
That being said, it’s undeniable that The Piano is one of the most daring films ever made. It takes its biggest risk in showing a woman who can’t speak, but demands so much out of the one life she has been given.
Jane Campion is one of the most fascinating living female filmmakers. Scratch that. She’s one of the most fascinating living filmmakers, period.
Campion’s films (The Power of the Dog, etc.) often show female characters striving to achieve things that seem near-impossible. These films are often about perseverance against all odds, and this exquisite 1993 film is certainly no exception. There are always consequences in Campion’s movies, which makes them even more thought-provoking.
The Piano teaches us that we must preserve our integrity and our passions in order to be happy in a life which is too short to waste on moments that don’t fulfill our every desire. It’s a masterful work of art despite its minor shortcomings.
The Piano was recently released in theaters in 4K prints by Sony Pictures Classics.
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Thomas Duffy
Thomas Duffy is a Critics Choice member who has written film reviews for most of his life, starting at age 11 when he crafted his first full length movie critique on the film, "Roxanne," a Cyrano story featuring Steve Martin. As a result of that review and other movie obsessive writing, Thomas was awarded a creative writing award in sixth grade. Thomas is the proud author of nine books, including two highly acclaimed novels, "To Never Know" and "Social Work." Thomas can be found on X (formerly known as Twitter) or at a New York City movie theater watching the latest hit or independent movie. You can also run into him at Tribeca or at the New York Film Festival.