La pianiste
2001, French
Movie
Drama, Music
MAN OF CINEMA
Haneke with his naturalistic and minimalistic approach tells a story of Erika who is emotionally and sexually repressed. she is living dual lives. One where she asserts herself stone cold, unapologetic, determined and driven, on other hand we see her vulnerable side where she struggles to live her in her true self in this society, fina someone who can accept her the way she is.
Haneke with this film really questions is there a limit to show anything in cinema? This film is so explicit and raw that it can make anybody uncomfortable. And i guess that's what makes this a masterpiece, it doesn't hold back on anything.
Another interesting angle in this film is Erika's relationship with her mother, it is very brutal, uneven. Her mother is very assertive and always imposing and dominating, never really shows affection clearly. Erika disposes the same characteristics in her life too. It is dominating and authoritative that at one point it leads erika to have sexual feelings for her mother. It's just so twisted and shocking to witness that.
The film also shows hypocrisy and patriarchy exists in sex, when erika puts a list of demands in front of Klemmer he straightaway suspends it, but later we see what he actually does to her for not behaving the way he wants. It is hypocritical and sickening.
The music also used as a metaphor here, we see how erika is obsessed with perfection in music but she herself deal with question of perfection in her life, she feels she is not perfect for this society or people and indulges in self harm, obsession and supress her own desires. Question of what is perfection in life is so perfectly shown.
And the ending scene, it symbolises how the people around her and society make her so sickening and disgusting. I don't know how haneke pulls this off, but the performances, the screenplay and camera work is so unique and riveting.
Synopsis:
A young man romantically pursues his masochistic piano teacher.
