THE PIANO: WTF?!?
I have seen some intense movies with blood, murder, erotic sex, bizarre twists, etc., but none have wowed me as much as the Piano. Even now as I sit hear contemplated what to blog about I have no words to describe how this movie made me felt. The story line itself was very bizarre and I never really knew what was going to happen next. Unlike most of the chick flicks I choose to watch, this film was not predictable. I never imagined that she would throw herself at Baines or that his sick obsession with her would lead to any lasting relationship. She was so dedicated to the memory of her former lover that I never imagined she would give in to Baines. I thought Baines was going to rape her, so when she jumped him I was quite shocked.
I hated the part when the husband cut off Ada’s pointer finger and blood splattered all over the daughters face. That was vulgar and totally unnecessary, and made me think about the woman who wrote this film. What was Campion thinking? Campion portrayed Ada as a bad mother as well, making decisions solely based on her personal needs. I would think that a female writer and director would portray women in a good light, as a good mother and wife, rather than I women with some serious baggage.
I also found it interesting that Campion included male frontal nudity. Tons of movies include women exposing their breasts, but very rarely does the male genitalia get any time in the spotlight. It makes me wonder why men in the movie business think it okay to show breasts in every other shot, but very rarely expose the penis.