An interesting historical concept, with some stand-out performances, but ruined for me by Paquin's cringeworthy over-the-top performance and riduculous attempt at a Scottish accent.

Considering it was made 30 years ago, the movie didn't age well in my opinion. The writing didn't make a whole lot of sense, especially the bits involving the natives. There was little depth regarding the indigenous population. The implied acceptance of infidelity (particularly for a period piece) was a put off. Not sure what the all fuzz was about at the time of release, but to me, The Power of the Dog was a much better movie.

Holly Hunter's performance is the only admirable quality about Campion's The Piano, a dull and disturbing period drama that sucks the joy out of the movie viewing experience. It's baffling how such a film scored so high among both critics and average audiences. It's one of the worst movies I've ever suffered through.

A timeless masterpiece!

What emotions are conjured from the imagery of a repressed, Victorian woman playing a piano on a secluded beach? Holly Hunter, a classically trained concert pianist, is the mute (by choice) protagonist, Ada. Ada and her daughter, Flora (Anna Paquin), are sold to a frontiersman (Sam Neill) in New Zealand in the mid-1800s. The piano is Ada's only release from a society that doesn't value her. Through the piano, Ada finds passionate love with a Scottish settler, George (Harvey Keitel), a man who has learned the Maori language and even indulged in a few facial tattoos. Through touch, George draws Ada's attention away from the piano and reminds her that sex is good. Back in 1993, the "sex scene" still mattered. With this couple, approximately half of it is seen through the voyeuristic gaze of Flora, and then, more scandalously, through Alisdair's (Neill). Marketed as a love story, I find Ada much more interested in her blossoming sexuality than just in George as a man. Had Alisdair not been such a weirdo and possessed an iota of the passion as George, it's reasonable to believe he and Ada would've had a healthy relationship…once getting over the whole infidelity thing, of course. Ada's message to George only comes after Alisdair displays a lack of sexual interest in his wife. His wife is the operative language there, and although Alisdair doesn't seem interested in becoming a husband, father, or partner whatsoever, he cannot bear knowing Ada's love for another and resolves to ruin her life not by killing George, but by removing an index finger with an ax. The climax is shocking and thrilling and the writing was smart not to have Alisdair narrate his intent, making his dragging of Ada to the stump that much more suspenseful. However, I really did believe the whole hand was coming off when I realized what he planned to do with that ax. Paquin as a little girl is fantastic and makes the movie better as a child actor whereas so many have to just not make it worse. There's something visceral about a child completely nuking a situation when they honestly believe they're doing the right thing that will almost make me pull the covers up to my eyes. They don't seem to make love stories like The Piano anymore.

This was honestly one of the worst movies I've ever seen.

a movie that very conveniently promotes infidelity, got rewarded at the Oscars for its performances (great) and its silly and shameless screenplay.

The Piano, a crowning achievement from director Jane Campion, is an untraditional love story that clearly puts style and substance beside each other. Sold into marriage, Ada (Holly Hunter), a mute pianist, travels to a remote area of New Zealand with her young daughter (Anna Paquin) and beloved piano to marry a man (Sam Neill) she has never met. Through an unseemly chain of events, she soon finds herself in love with her husband's neighbor (Harvey Keitel), all of which leads to an unexpected outcome. A film like no other, it features excellent performances (especially from the young Paquin), stunning cinematography (the blue filter used for many of the exteriors gives the film an ethereal feel), patient editing and direction (shots linger effectively on characters' expressions), and a memorable story with a satisfying outcome.

Certainly will go down as the worst academy award winner of all time! It must’ve been a very slim year for decent movies for this to win. Such a weak, slow moving script and the two lead actors never developed chemistry. Leaves me speechless that it could be nominated for anything other than some Razzies.

Aspects were excellent. The setting, the Māori, a bit of piano playing, the raw sexiness at times, the absolutely shocking bit. The rest of it is deathly boring and there is a lot of the rest of it. For all its qualities, I just can't pretend I enjoyed this almost comatose, slow burner.

1001 movies to see before you die. Another lost Flixster rating! A good period piece to show the hardships that people face in stratified society going to colonial NZ and where they search for love. I was frustrated with some of the implausibility of the relationships and the tolerance of the actions of the heroine. I don't think it would have flown back in the day in a remote colony. Regardless, it still has its merits and moments of beauty and romance. I don't plan on seeing it again. It was a on Netflix.

This is one of the strangest movies I have ever watched. Before I get into the review, I must clarify this is not even taking into account the offensive, inaccurate portrayal of the Maori people, which could have its own essay. The film leaves me so confused, trying to make sense of it all. The plotline is absolutely twisted and disgusting - a story, at the very base, of a woman who falls in love with her sexual assaulter. It becomes so incredibly difficult to understand Ada - sometimes you love her, sometimes you hate her, sometimes she is the biggest idiot. The other two male leads are completely despicable. When you watch the film, you think "Oh my gosh, this is so incredibly messed up". I almost had to stop watching at times, as I watched the abuse that Ada faced and tried to understand her peculiar reactions to it. It made my stomach churn. While I was watching the film, I was thinking that this is the worst movie I've ever seen, romanticizing sexual assault and abuse. However, erhaps the moments that romanticize it are really trying to get the audience into the mind of Ada, because there are certainly scenes that shame it as well. Just because this story is incredibly twisted doesn't mean that it isn't a plausible one, and that it isn't a story that deserves to be told. People fall in love with their abusers every day. However, I don't know how to feel about their portrayal of the assault and abuse. Overall, I'm so confused about this film. Which, I suppose, is probably the point.

It's an intense and confined period piece centered on a marital affair.

How do we get Holly Hunter, an actress from the state of Georgia famous for her Southern drawl, to convincingly play a 19th century Scottish woman? Simple, make it so she doesn't talk. For 1993, The Piano is a shockingly pretty movie. It's a period 'frontier' film, and is thus full of the damp, the dirt, and the mud, but it is very well-shot, conveying both a rustic feel and the beauty of the New Zealand landscape with exceptional image clarity without romanticizing the lifestyle. The soundtrack is exceptional and thematically relevant, integrating almost excusively piano solos to match the 'voice' of Hunter's otherwise mute Ada. Then, there's the story itself. So often, romances come off as purely melodramatic or crowd-pleasers with little room between for subtlety or nuance, but The Piano feels much more distinctive in its design - an exploration of the feminine perspective in love, sexuality, and convention told through a mechansim that allows for ample symbolism without a sense of cheap pandering. That is, until the ending, which feels jarring by comparison. All of a sudden, the smooth shooting style gives way to a segmented slow-motion, and the narrative, previously leaning so heavily on independent identity and the correlation of identity between Ada and her piano, throws the dynamic literally overboard in service of a relatively straightforward romantic reconciliation. It's sweet enough, but not up to par with the remainder of the film. Really good performances all around, featuring many names that were a bit more recognizable in the 1990s than in later decades but demonstrate exactly why they commanded high billing in 1993. (3.5/5)

Not a film for your usual cinema goer, but for those who appreciate more depth, and have the patience to watch a film slowly grow they will be rewarded with a masterpiece of a film.

The Piano is what all of those other supposedly erotic films wish they were. That aside, it's also a well-made acting piece if you're the type who reads Playboy "for the articles."

Jane Campion's masterpiece not only shines for its feminist legacy and awards (First Palm d'Or ever given to a female director), but also for the elegance of the screenplay, the one-of-a-kind performace by Holly Hunter and the inteligence of this story.

I saw this in the theater in 1993 and just now on streaming. It's a haunting story of love and intimacy with outstanding acting. Scenes will stick with you.

Good cinematography, music and performances, however I do not perceive the uncanny naturalism for passion and eroticism as the film expects me to. Not to mention, Jane Campion's silly adoration for her character, adding up to her nonsensical motives and actions, which quite honestly do not mesh with an appearance of 5'2 meek, mute woman, who gets shipped out to kiwi island, essentially against her will. Cheeky as it may be, I adored how the movie refused to pick the ending and just inserted both of them.

Mid 19th century New Zealand, isolated settlers, arranged marriage, Mute speaks via her piano, love triangle, and natives in cultural contrast. Very good.