The Piano

Whilst writing all my production documents (call sheets, shooting schedule, etc), I decided I needed a little bit of inspiration to remind me what all this movie-making business is about. Scanning my vast array of DVD's, I came across The Piano, Jane Campion's award-winning feature produced by Jan Chapman, who I happen to be researching for my MI2 Personal Networking Report. I know what you're thinking. HOW could I have never seen this film? Well, between all the crap on the TV and terrible films I watch in the cinema (i.e Transformers, Wog Boy 2...you get the picture), I have never made time for the classics. Or rather, the classically beautiful. Two categories that The Piano fits into quite snugly. Ironically, I have played many of the scores produced for the film during my piano practicing years. It is with this that I have decided to direct this post for one question which resonated for me throughout the watching of the film just now is whether the music dictates the narrative, or the story dictates the music? A description of the score would be a good place to begin answering this hefty question.

Created by Michael Nyman, the piano music featured in the film moves from a haunting, minor key, dramatic rendition such as The Heart Asks Pleasure First to a sweeter, more dainty Ballet-esque style piece such as The Scent of Love. As the music plays, you feel your emotions swell and your ability to become carried away, sucked into the diegesis of the film is exceptionally heightened. One scene in particular where this occurs is in the film's finale. As Ada's death becomes imminent (don't be fooled; this is not what happens), the music swells in tempo and tone, contrasting with the action on screen which begins to slow. It is a classic example of the film playing with that balance between the tempo of the editing and the tempo of the music to dictate the scene, rather than the performance dictating the score.

This is quite possibly the reason why the film was nominated and awarded many, many accolades following its release in 1993. Adding to this is the amazing performances generated by Neill, Keitel, Paquin and Hunter, all extremely convoluted characters; all working towards their own selfish means, the only one acceptable of the quartet being Paquin who is only 6 years old and not yet capable of quashing her desires. And there's that key word: desire. The running theme throughout the film that had this viewer feeling a little hot and heavy at the most random of times (i.e Keitel and Hunter at the piano with Hunter in full corset and bodice). I believe though that the word desire is explored more intrinsically within the film. The consequences of desire, the implications of thinking selfishly, and the impact of ones own desires on others can be seen throughout the film. I believe this is quaintly represented in the land sale exchanges between Neill's character and the Maori tribes. The desire of the White Man for more land we know in hindsight was the beginning of the downfall of the Maori tribes, reflected in the various scenes amongst the Maori characters when confronted with White Man's traditions (The Nativity Play) and ideologies (Swapping land for something as trivial as blankets and guns).

The Piano's greatest strength I feel is in the performances and the cinematography which captures the complicated New Zealand landscape beautifully. I've run out of steam but I'm extremely glad I used this film to prop myself up for next week's shoot.