The Piano

Poignant and profound, the film The Piano lingers hauntingly in the mind well after the final credits have closed. Written and directed by Jane Campion, The Piano touches on several moral and controversial issues, such as the portrayal of love and eroticism, the forced assimilation of natives during colonisation and the role of women in nineteenth century society. Many of Campion’s films focus on similar themes and ideas, garnering critical as well as financial success and making her a renowned and respected welterweight in the ring of filmmaking and directing. Born in New Zealand and educated at the Australian Film, Television and Radio School, Campion has caught the attention of the film industry with the production of several feature films, including Sweetie (1989), An Angel at My Table (1990), Portrait of a Lady (1996), Holy Smoke (1999) and perhaps most notably, The Piano (1993).

Campion uses The Piano to communicate strong feminist ideals and themes, highlighting the issues of stereotypical gender roles and gender inequality in marriage. It follows the story of Ada McGrath, a mute Scotswoman with one daughter from a previous relationship. Carrying heavy feminist tones, Ada’s vocal limitations serve to represent the oppression of women in the nineteenth century. Campion emphasises her message about women’s rights through the strong-willed protagonist. Ada is presented as a subject of the film rather than an object, demonstrating very human characteristics, traits and flaws. She is decisive and refuses to become subservient and submissive to the men around her.

Ada’s daughter, Flora, is also an interesting and complex character. Flora functions as a catalyst for the action in the film and is the means through which Campion...

... middle of paper ...

...lm medium is quite effective in conveying Campion’s aims and messages. Campion can communicate her condemnation or approval of a character through various cinematic techniques. This is demonstrated when Stewart punishes Ada for lying about her love for Baines. The lighting in this scene is very dark, accompanied by cold, wet weather. The soundtrack also enhances the tone and atmosphere of the scene, with dark, ominous music that become progressively faster and more frantic. The mis-en-scene also ties in with the mood, with dark costuming covered in mud and dirt. It is quite apparent that Campion disapproves of Stewart’s actions in this scene and the way he resorts to violence to resolve his disputes. Through the manipulation of several film elements, Campion’s aims and intents are made clearer and more pronounced, making it a very effective medium for the narrative.