Jane Campion's 'The Piano' (1993)

In this episode, I talk about the mysterious power and beauty of Jane Campion's 1993 film, "The Piano." It stars Holly Hunter as Ada McGrath, a Scottish woman who goes to New Zealand with her daughter, Flora, for an arranged marriage to Alisdair Stewart. Their marriage is troubled from the start, and Ada ends up falling for George Baines. I share my memories of watching the film for the first time and talk about themes of muteness, violence against women, and the complicated relationship between Ada and Baines.

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Original logo by Dhiyanah Hassan

Full Show Notes

Dave Grohl quote about Billie Eilish
My episode on Jonathan Glazer's Birth
My episode on The Passion of Joan of Arc
My episode on La Jetée
My episode on James Ivory's Maurice
My episode on Girl with a Pearl Earring
My episode on Nancy Savoca's Dogfight
My episode on The Enchanted Cottage
My episode on Patricia Cardoso's Real Women Have Curves
The Piano novel by Jane Campion and Kate Pullinger

All My Sources

Jane Campion: In the Scene by Ellen Cheshire
Senses of Cinema profile of Jane Campion
Alicia Malone's interview with Holly Hunter for Filmstruck
Michael Nyman and Jane Campion on creating the soundtrack for the

film (The Guardian)
20 Years After The Piano, We've All Failed Holly Hunter (The

Atlantic)
bell hooks's essay that includes critiques of The Piano
Colonialism in The Piano (Cinema Oceania)
Romanticizing Colonialism: Power and Pleasure in Jane Campion's The

Piano by Reshela DuPuis