The Piano

The movie, The Piano, was a shocking account of a chick flick because it was dark and dreary but it still had the makings of a chick flick: romance, emotion, sickness, and destruction of property. It may have not been a conventional romance but it did demonstrate a love that was kept from one character, Baines, for a period of time, which is present in most “chick flicks”. Emotions were stirred by the use of music, lighting, and use of sex scenes, although very explicit. Emotions were provoked by the use of betrayal by the daughter, Flora, of her mother where she ultimately has her right index finger cut off by her own husband for her indiscretions with another man. The characteristic of sickness was demonstrated through the mother’s muteness. In the film, it was seen as a sickness by other characters while it could be seen as a contribute to her character because she overcame the barrier of silence to communicate with others through hand movements, touch and other body movements. The destruction of property in the film was not demonstrated in the most common sense when we think of destruction of property. The destruction of property was done to another human being, Ada. Because of her indiscretions with another man and subsequently being caught is what caused her husband, Alisdair, to cut off her finger and sent it to Baines as a warning not to see her again. This action is to insight emotion from the audience, which it does. It illustrates the magnitude of the husband’s anger towards his wife, Baines and to the piano.

The explicit sex scenes are used to illustrate the primal part of sex and love. At first, it does not have to encompass love but it can eventually as time passes. The use of nude scenes and lack of clothing on the natives also shows how primitive their world is. It suggests that the natives are not as civilized or modernized as others, but the use of the “white” people’s clothes on the natives also demonstrates how the invasion has affected the natives. They are trying to incorporate the new people into their lives but still keep their identity.