I'm on some kind of a roll with reviews of films. I saw The PIano Teacher by Michael Haneke yesterday and felt compelled to get my thoughts down straight away. I'll try and write a different kind of blog soon, but for now here is my review of a very dark but compelling film. You can see my comments here on Imdb.com too: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0254686/usercomments-224
I'm not sure I should really attempt a review of this because I doubt very much that I can sum it up or even begin to describe the power of this film. One thing to say is that it is extremely challenging viewing and if you are unsure of watching this make sure you know what you are in for first. Not that anything could prepare you for this film, but be aware that it is a dark and often disturbing look into some of the most troublesome aspects of human behaviour.
I can't say that this is an enjoyable film - that surely isn't the right word. However, this is filmmaking at its very best, coupled with a central performance from Isabelle Huppert that genuinely deserves the high praise it has received. I was only introduced to Michael Haneke very recently, and this is only the 2nd of his films that I have seen, but he is clearly an incredibly gifted director and writer who makes films almost unlike any others I have seen.
Films of sustained intensity and anxiety are quite rare, and there are very few films I have seen that are able to achieve the intense and foreboding atmosphere that Haneke, and also Isabelle Huppert, craft here. What is unique is that Haneke doesn't rely on a chilling musical score to build tension, nor is the film cast in dark and brooding light that suggests to us what the underlying nature of the story is. Haneke builds the tension with supreme subtlety and ingenious craft. The only music that is used comes from the piano playing of the characters themselves; the beautiful and artistic music is juxtaposed with the dark and secretive thoughts of Erika.
We gradually delve into the troubled mind of the otherwise austere piano teacher, Erika, and get glimpses of a side of her which initially seems almost out of place. Her acts are played out to a backdrop of a sad and lonely existence, one in which she is still controlled by a domineering and rather embittered mother. The mother, played excellently by Annie Girardot, perhaps gives us a tiny insight into why Erika feels trapped and repressed.
Huppert is astounding and the subtle nuances of her performance are indicative of an actress at the very top of her game. Huppert conveys so much fear, sadness, lust, anger and even love through a veneer of temperance. She constantly reminds us that these feelings are largely repressed and yet we can see them bubbling under the surface. Huppert betrays these underlying dark emotions often with as little as a slight shift in her facial expression – make no mistake this is acting of the highest calibre; subtle, understated and yet utterly powerful and compelling.
The actions of Erika are often quite alarming and certainly not appealing, and yet it is the hallmark of excellence, in both Haneke's script and Huppert's performance, that we can still sympathise with this woman. Even, if it is only a fleeting glimpse of sympathy or understanding – it is still there. That is how I felt, and that is another reason why the film is so challenging. Should I feel sympathy? Should I feel anger? Should I feel disgust? Haneke doesn't insist that we feel one way or another, he lets the power of the story carry itself and the viewer is left to sift through this thickened sea of conflicting emotion.
As I said at the start, I don't think I can do this film justice on paper – it has to be seen; and if you do choose to see it you will get something much more – you will feel your way through it. As I watched this film I felt an array of different emotions; I was gripped, tense, anxious, saddened, disgusted and much more. By the end I had a barrage of unanswered questions and I wasn't even sure how to feel about what I'd seen. That is the beauty, and I do mean beauty, of this incredibly thought-provoking and dark film. If after reading this you think you can stomach the content then I would encourage you to watch it for a very unique film experience. It is a breathtaking film but one that might well leave you with an uncomfortable feeling deep in the recesses of your subconscious. 9/10.
Films of sustained intensity and anxiety are quite rare, and there are very few films I have seen that are able to achieve the intense and foreboding atmosphere that Haneke, and also Isabelle Huppert, craft here. What is unique is that Haneke doesn't rely on a chilling musical score to build tension, nor is the film cast in dark and brooding light that suggests to us what the underlying nature of the story is. Haneke builds the tension with supreme subtlety and ingenious craft. The only music that is used comes from the piano playing of the characters themselves; the beautiful and artistic music is juxtaposed with the dark and secretive thoughts of Erika.
We gradually delve into the troubled mind of the otherwise austere piano teacher, Erika, and get glimpses of a side of her which initially seems almost out of place. Her acts are played out to a backdrop of a sad and lonely existence, one in which she is still controlled by a domineering and rather embittered mother. The mother, played excellently by Annie Girardot, perhaps gives us a tiny insight into why Erika feels trapped and repressed.
Huppert is astounding and the subtle nuances of her performance are indicative of an actress at the very top of her game. Huppert conveys so much fear, sadness, lust, anger and even love through a veneer of temperance. She constantly reminds us that these feelings are largely repressed and yet we can see them bubbling under the surface. Huppert betrays these underlying dark emotions often with as little as a slight shift in her facial expression – make no mistake this is acting of the highest calibre; subtle, understated and yet utterly powerful and compelling.
The actions of Erika are often quite alarming and certainly not appealing, and yet it is the hallmark of excellence, in both Haneke's script and Huppert's performance, that we can still sympathise with this woman. Even, if it is only a fleeting glimpse of sympathy or understanding – it is still there. That is how I felt, and that is another reason why the film is so challenging. Should I feel sympathy? Should I feel anger? Should I feel disgust? Haneke doesn't insist that we feel one way or another, he lets the power of the story carry itself and the viewer is left to sift through this thickened sea of conflicting emotion.
As I said at the start, I don't think I can do this film justice on paper – it has to be seen; and if you do choose to see it you will get something much more – you will feel your way through it. As I watched this film I felt an array of different emotions; I was gripped, tense, anxious, saddened, disgusted and much more. By the end I had a barrage of unanswered questions and I wasn't even sure how to feel about what I'd seen. That is the beauty, and I do mean beauty, of this incredibly thought-provoking and dark film. If after reading this you think you can stomach the content then I would encourage you to watch it for a very unique film experience. It is a breathtaking film but one that might well leave you with an uncomfortable feeling deep in the recesses of your subconscious. 9/10.
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