The Piano

Main Plot

"The Piano," directed by Jane Campion, is a poignant drama set in the mid-19th century, exploring themes of communication, autonomy, and desire. The story revolves around a mute woman who is sent to New Zealand for an arranged marriage. She brings along her young daughter and her beloved piano, which becomes a crucial symbol throughout the film. Upon arrival, her new husband deems the piano too cumbersome to transport to their home and abandons it on the beach. A local worker acquires the piano and offers a deal: she can earn it back by giving him piano lessons, which gradually evolve into a complex and intimate relationship. This arrangement sets off a series of emotional and moral conflicts, highlighting the woman's struggle for self-expression and control over her own life. The piano serves as a powerful metaphor for her voice and inner world, driving the narrative towards a dramatic and transformative climax. The film's lush cinematography and haunting score underscore its exploration of human connection and the quest for personal freedom.

Characters

• Holly Hunter plays Ada McGrath, a mute pianist who communicates through her piano and sign language, navigating love and survival in 19th-century New Zealand.
• Harvey Keitel plays George Baines, a settler who forms a complex relationship with a mute pianist, ultimately helping her regain her voice and independence.
• Sam Neill plays Alisdair Stewart, a settler who marries Ada and becomes entangled in a complex love triangle involving her piano and another man.

Ending Explained

In the final scenes, Ada, who has been mute throughout the story, decides to leave with her lover, George, and her daughter, Flora. As they prepare to depart, Ada's estranged husband, Alisdair, reluctantly agrees to let them go. However, Ada's prized piano, which has been a central symbol of her voice and emotions, is too cumbersome to take along. George and Ada decide to cast it into the sea. As the piano sinks, Ada impulsively allows herself to be pulled underwater by the attached rope, seemingly choosing to drown. In a moment of intense struggle, she changes her mind and kicks free, resurfacing and gasping for air. The film concludes with Ada, George, and Flora starting a new life together. Ada learns to speak again with the help of a metal finger prosthesis and takes up teaching piano lessons. The final voiceover reveals Ada's reflections on her near-death experience and her new life, suggesting a sense of rebirth and liberation. The piano, once a symbol of her silence and repression, is left behind, signifying Ada's transition from a life of constraint to one of expression and freedom. This ending underscores themes of self-discovery, resilience, and the transformative power of love and music.