Writer/director Jane Campion's third feature unearthed emotional undercurrents and churning intensity in the story of a mute woman's rebellion in the recently colonized New Zealand wilderness of Victorian times. Ada McGrath (Holly Hunter), a mute who has willed herself not to speak, and her strong-willed young daughter Flora (Anna Paquin) find themselves in the New Zealand wilderness, with Ada the imported bride of dullard land-grabber Stewart (Sam Neill). Ada immediately takes a dislike to Stewart when he refuses to carry ...
Read More
Writer/director Jane Campion's third feature unearthed emotional undercurrents and churning intensity in the story of a mute woman's rebellion in the recently colonized New Zealand wilderness of Victorian times. Ada McGrath (Holly Hunter), a mute who has willed herself not to speak, and her strong-willed young daughter Flora (Anna Paquin) find themselves in the New Zealand wilderness, with Ada the imported bride of dullard land-grabber Stewart (Sam Neill). Ada immediately takes a dislike to Stewart when he refuses to carry her beloved piano home with them. But Stewart makes a deal with his overseer George Baines (Harvey Keitel) to take the piano off his hands. Attracted to Ada, Baines agrees to return the piano in exchange for a series of piano lessons that become a series of increasingly charged sexual encounters. As pent-up emotions of rage and desire swirl around all three characters, the savage wilderness begins to consume the tiny European enclave. Campion imbues her tale with an over-ripe tactility and a murky, poetic undertow that betray the characters' confined yet overpowering emotions: Ada's buried sensuality, Baines' hidden tenderness, and Stewart's suppressed anger and violence. The story unfolds like a Greek tragedy of the Outback, complete with a Greek chorus of Maori tribesmen and a blithely uncaring natural environment that envelops the characters like an additional player. Campion directs with discreet detachment, observing one character through the glances and squints of another as they peer through wooden slats, airy curtains, and the spaces between a character's fingers. She makes the film immediate and urgent by implicating the audience in characters' gazes. And she guides Hunter to a revelatory performance of silent film majesty. Relying on expressive glances and using body language to convey her soulful depths, Hunter became a modern Lillian Gish and won an Oscar for her performance, as did Paquin and Campion for her screenplay. Campion achieved something rare in contemporary cinema: a poetry of expression told in the form of an off-center melodrama. Paul Brenner, Rovi
Read Less
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Good. Dispatched, from the UK, within 48 hours of ordering. Please, note that this is a second-hand item. The case will likely be a bit worn at its edges or have very minor cracks.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Good. Dispatched, from the UK, within 48 hours of ordering. Please, note that this is a second-hand item. The case will likely be a bit worn at its edges or have very minor cracks.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Fair. Dispatched, from the UK, within 48 hours of ordering. Please, note that this is a second-hand item. The case will show considerable shelfwear and, may be cracked, in places the disc will show scratches but will play.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Good. The case shows some wear and tear. The case shows some wear from normal use. May have sticker or writing on case and/or disc All items ship Monday-Friday-Fast Shipping in a secure bubble mailer.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Fine. Disc, artwork and case in excellent condition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed. Orders received before 3PM PT typically ship same day. All profits support the non-profit community.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Very good. Providing great media since 1972. All used discs are inspected and guaranteed. Cases may show some wear. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Very good. Providing great media since 1972. All used discs are inspected and guaranteed. Cases may show some wear. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Fair. Thank you for supporting Goodwill Industries of Ventura and Santa Barbara County in our mission to enhance the dignity and quality of life of individuals and families through education, skills training, and the power of employment. This is a USED ITEM. The VHS tape is untested. The case and packaging show age, and wear which may include cracks, holes, bent corners, rips, fading and stains.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Fair. Disc(s) and case show moderate signs of wear and tear. All items include the original case and artwork. All items ship Mon-Fri. Disc(s) have been resurfaced using a professional-grade machine. Case shows moderate wear and tear. All items include the original case and artwork. All items ship Mon-Fri.
Writer-director, Jane Campion creates a wonderful movie with THE PIANO.
She takes the subject matter and story-tells in a captivating cinematic style.
In New Zealand, a mail-order bride and her young daughter arrive with a large piano. Her new husband leaves it on the beach. But the bride's husband's assistant asks for lessons in return for bringing in the piano, and they soon begin an affair.
Harvey Keitel is very interesting to watch as usual. So is Holly Hunter, who is constantly having thoughts going on in her mind. Sam Neill always gives an honest performance. And Anna Paquin is adorable (and good).