The Piano 1993 Directed by Jane Campion Victorian
The Piano (1993) Directed by Jane Campion Victorian Values Clash with the Untamed
Jane Campion considered an auteur Starring: Holly Hunter, Anna Paquin, Harvey Keitel, Sam Neill 3 Oscar wins: Best actress, Best supporting actress, & Best screenplay
General • When- mid-19 th century • Where- New Zealand • Known for killer cinematography, heavy use of symbolism, subverting patriarchal norms in cinema • Themes: colonization, human vs. Nature, communication, voyeurism, fetishization Motifs: the piano as a voice for Ada, the axe, Victorian undergarments Genre: melodrama
The Wasteland Gothic Mud, discomfort, unease and loss of agency. The idea of punishment Being trapped Dense woods, almost like a Grimm fairytale Erotic symbolism Baines vs. Stewart Stock stereotypes: ex: Maoris Civilized vs. uncivilized
Mise-en-scene • The home as a protectoive sanctuary • Victorian garments- many layered, voluminous, impractical, dark sombre colours contrast against the pale of Ada’s skin • Stewart- stiff, rigid, insecure, not free, clothes were purposely made too tight for Sam Neill to emphasize this • Baines’ dress more casual, adapted to the environment, shows his allegiance to the Maoris, his shirking of traditional ‘European’ values
The Double The advocate and betrayer of her mother Oedipal jealousy
- Slides: 6