Jane Campion’s fourth feature is a visually sumptuous and tactile tale of adultery set during the early European colonisation of New Zealand, with Harvey Keitel daringly cast in the role of a passionately romantic lover and Holly Hunter as a woman physically unable to articulate her feelings. Ada McGrath (Hunter) can hear and communicates in sign language through her young daughter, Fiona (Anna Paquin), but she can’t talk. Apart from her child, Ada’s most treasured possession is her piano. She marries a man she’s never met, a pioneer settler (Sam Neill) in New Zealand. The marriage starts badly when Neill refuses to transport Ada’s piano to his settlement. Later, he allows George Baines (Keitel), who has ‘gone native’ to have the piano. Baines then offers to return the piano to Ada - if she gives him piano lessons. These lessons become stages in an increasingly erotic courtship. Campion unfolds this striking story boldly with flashes of unexpected humour. The settlement is chilly, muddy and rainswept, a place where civilisation is barely making an impact. Hunter played solo piano and acted as piano coach on this production. Paquin became one of the youngest actors to receive an Academy Award for her performance. Cast also includes Kerry Walker, Genevieve Lemon.
The Piano trailer via Movieclips Classic Trailers' YouTube channel
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Collection
In ACMI's collection
Credits
Collection metadata
ACMI Identifier
305377
Language
English
Audience classification
MA
Subject categories
Advertising, Film, Journalism, Mass Media & TV → Academy awards (Motion pictures)
Family, Gender Identity, Relationships & Sexuality → Adultery
Feature films → Feature films - New Zealand
Food, Health, Lifestyle, Medicine, Psychology & Safety → Love
Food, Health, Lifestyle, Medicine, Psychology & Safety → Marriage
History → Frontier and pioneer life
Sound/audio
Sound
Colour
Colour
Holdings
VHS; Access Print (Section 1)
16mm film; Access Print (Section 1)