20:20 hindsight

Rating: 7/10 (20 July 2002)

Almost 10 years after this critically lauded and popular flick garnered its brace of awards, the votes are in and one can safely assume the always peculiar Campion finally managed to break through and help put Aussie cinema on the map. A bleak, austere, harsh, and very tedious drama which is so lean as to make the salients of love, jealousy, recrimination, guilt, anguish, etc. stand out in bold relief, "The Piano" has done better with cinema buffs and film fanatics than the general public. Today is remains a must see for anyone into deep film while the masses may pass it over as it makes the rounds on broadcast. (B)
Note - I couldn't tolerate the monotony of this flick when it was first released. Now, nine years later I gave it another try and this time made it to the end finding it an unsatisfying but meritorious film.