The Piano

If Madame Bovary were ever to find a Room of her Own, the result might be something like The Piano. But, then again, probably not, since The Piano is a wholly original achievement. Writer-director Campion has created an indelible screen portrait of a woman skirting the fringes of the social norms. The movie is both spare and severe, lush and sensuous, and it is not an easy movie to pigeonhole. More to the point, however, is that which is left unsaid in The Piano. Much of the movie is shrouded in mystery or left to conjecture. The questions go on and on and that's what makes The Piano such a haunting pleasure. There are also the performances; Keitel and Hunter deserve every accolade in the business. The wonder of The Piano is that such an outwardly simple story could emerge into such a complex swirl of lingering memories and imponderables.