Stormy breakers wash the beach of a deserted shore. An endless pastel sky spans above. New Zealand, nineteenth century. A small landing-craft approaches the land. Besides the rough seamen, there are two figures on board, distinct by their black Victorian dresses and bonnets which appear strangely out of place in this environment. The two are carried to the beach by the sailors to prevent their clothes from getting wet. A useless effort as it appears when the water washes the sand that they have just set foot on, drenching their shoes.

The young girl does not seem to care much about this for the moment, as she has knelt down, crooked by seasickness...

Ada McGrath (Holly Hunter) has travelled all the way from Scotland with her illegitimate daughter Flora (Anna Paquin) to marry a man whom she doesn't know. Ada's father has arranged this, answering a newspaper ad and anxious to provide a secured existence for his daughter who hasn't spoken a word since she was six years old.

Ada's ideas about her future husband seem ambiguous; in his letter, he has commented on Ada's muteness with the words: "God loves mute creatures, so why shouldn't I?" On the other hand, she hopes to build up a relationship with him comparable to that with her former piano teacher. He was the only person so far capable of understanding Ada's elaborate way of expressing herself through her piano which she has therefore brought with her.

While paying little attention to her other belongings that are placed all around her on the beach by the sailors, Ada very carefully chooses a place for the piano, the farthest possible from the water. As there is nobody to welcome Ada and Flora, the two have to settle on the beach for the night, rejecting the seamen's offer to be taken to Nelson, a city another couple of miles away:

"She says, No, she says she'd rather be boiled alive by natives than get back in your stinkin' tub" exclaims Flora, freely interpreting her mother's rigid gesture.

The young girl is a self-confident and precocious, yet vulnerable person. Being her mother's intimate confidante and her voice to the outside world, director Jane Campion describes this mother-daughter relationship as a "mirror-like closeness". Ada regards her daughter's exaggerated interpretations with benevolence, Flora sometimes expressing what adults would never dare to say explicitly. Nevertheless, when she wants to attract attention, Flora's remarkable fantasy uses to preside over truth, e.g. when narrating the impassioned story about how Ada lost her voice...

The next morning, Alisdair Stewart (Sam Neill), Ada's intended husband, arrives on the beach with a group of Maori porters, commanded by George Baines (Harvey Keitel). Ada and Flora have spent the night in a kind of tent, being made out of a crinoline and petticoats. The two are waked up by the foreign voices. Stewart decides, despite Ada's protest, that the heavy piano should be left on the beach; later on, he trades it with Baines for a piece of Alisdair Stewart (Sam Neill)

land, ignoring its obvious importance for Ada. Baines is an illiterate outsider who, unlike the other settlers, associates with the Maori on an equal basis and speaks their language. His face is featured by moko, the traditional Maori type of tattoo. While Stewart is bewildered by Ada's resolute character, having expected to marry a shy and retentive woman, Baines is fascinated by her inaccesible beauty. This is why he takes the piano as price for his land. Baines proposes Ada to regain the piano, key by key, in exchange for playing it in his hut. The erotic tension between them develops cumulatively to a passionate love affair. Being excluded from these meetings, Flora gets

jealous of this man who disturbs the intimate mother-daughter relationship, and she begins to side with her new father. All this, together with Stewart's growing suspicion, leads to a tragic climax... The Piano won the prestigious "Golden Palm" at Cannes in 1993; Holly Hunter was appointed Best Actress. On Oscar night 1994, it was the surprising winner in three categories: Best Actress (Holly Hunter), Best Supporting Actress (Anna Paquin) and Best Original Screenplay (Jane Campion). Besides, it's one of my all-time favourites... Back to index

George Baines (Harvey Keitel)