Haunting

Rating: 7/10 (6 May 2003)

The actual plot of The Piano is a very straightforward love triangle, the only difference being that one of the three is mute. To recap it quickly: Harvey Kietel gets naked; Holly Hunter gets horny; Sam Niell gets mad; then Sam Niell gets less mad. What does make The Piano stand out somewhat are the brilliant visuals. The outside action takes place under a web of grey tree branches obscuring the downcast sky. The whole film makes a far more disturbing use of the New Zealand scenery than the over-hyped-but-pretty The Lord Of The Rings.
The Piano reminds me quite a lot of Japanese horror film Onibaba. The actual stories of the films are poles apart, but both have a feeling of detachment. Until the very end of the film you could be forgiven for thinking that The Piano is set in an alternate universe, so far away are the characters from any other humans. This love triangle is completely isolated, and from start to finish there is no possibility of any outside forces interrupting or for any of the characters to escape. It is this quality, along with the desolate landscape of the film, that give The Piano it's quality. Plus, the music's great.