THE PIANO TEACHER (Michael Haneke, 2002) R

Reviewed: May 25, 2002

There is a scene in the first half hour of The Piano Teacher that plastered a huge smile across my face. It is not a comedic scene; in fact it is a very disturbing one. But I was so incredibly gleeful because of the sheer audacity of writer/director Michael Haneke. The brilliance of his maneuvering-- first he lulls the audience forward with mostly standard sequences of a bookish piano teacher going about her routine... slow, methodical, conservative... and then... this scene. This scene which yanks the rug out from beneath the audience. This scene which I could barely believe was unfolding before my eyes. This scene which made me so fucking happy. Now I knew The Piano Teacher was headed in unexpected directions. Now I knew anything could happen. Now I knew I was in great filmmaking hands.

I rarely say this about a film, but The Piano Teacher is definitely not for all tastes. It is a difficult, painful, at times horrifying movie. I am reminded of David Fincher's quote: "I am interested in cinema that scars." But for those willing to undergo the journey... for those with truly eclectic tastes... for those who feel a distinct cleansing from great art, no matter how lurid or gruesome... The Piano Teacher is an impressive, sometimes remarkable experience. And in a day when so much film is disposable--mindless two hour diversions that require nothing besides an audience at its most passive--here is a demanding film that sticks with you.

As I'm sure you've figured out already, this piano teacher has a dark secret I dare not spoil. It is this secret which drives the film. A secret which clashes with the facade of her existence. A secret which reaps massive emotional and physical turmoil.

The actress who plays the piano teacher, Isabelle Huppert, is in virtually every scene. Her performance (for which she deservedly won best actress at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival) is uncompromising-- by turns distant, savage, angry, maddened, fragile, vicious, mild, aggressive and submissive. But all the while this character is running the gamut of emotions, Huppert maintains an almost childlike look of cold calm. Emphasis on cold. Recalling it now, it feels ghostly -- like a slightly demented doll. This look translates into a general vibe of delicacy... a delicacy that was always felt by me in Huppert's being despite whatever airs her character was putting on. And it is a delicacy which pays off supremely during the final act of The Piano Teacher.

Unfortunately, we do have to wait for the final act in more ways than one. My main problem with The Piano Teacher is the first two acts of the film are largely based upon the audience's intellectual engagement (I consider the test of "intellectual engagement" asking someone what they thought of a given movie and their response being "It was interesting.") and it is not until the last act that the emotional engagement finally kicks in to the necessary extreme. Meaning: a large portion of this film is quite slow and not enough happens to (at the time) justify its existence. We admire the craft from a distance, rather than being entertained and enthralled and moved. But because the ultimate payoff is so strong and (perversely) satisfying, everything becomes worthwhile by the end. It is important to note that as is often the case with idiosyncratic, challenging films... you've gotta do the time to be rewarded. Thus it is only in hindsight that the whole film pays off. Remember big emotional climaxes can't materialize out of nowhere.

What is The Piano Teacher actually about? This is a question I often asked myself throughout the movie. Above all else it is a character study, certainly. Isabelle Huppert plays an extremely disturbed woman, the roots of whose problems are basically unknown to us, only hinted at (we are told her father lived out his final years at an insane asylum; she sleeps in the same bed as her absurdly controlling elderly mother). So maybe that is what this film is about... control. Perhaps Isabelle's character Erika has had so much power stripped from her throughout her life, perhaps she has always felt so helpless (both mentally and physically) that not only has she turned to music, one of the only professions you can exert absolute control over... but her never-ending quest for control has taken a very dangerous slant as well. Most of The Piano Teacher centers around an odd relationship that develops between Erika and a talented, strong-willed young student (Benoît Magimel, who won best actor at Cannes 2001)... and it is soon clear that her desire to sexually control him--a desire which will inevitably backfire--is harsh and unyielding. Plus there are other control clues. Disgusted with an underachieving student, Erika brutally sabotages her so she won't be able to play in an upcoming recital.

The Piano Teacher is the kind of film which needs time to sink in long after it has unspooled. The kind of film that asks more question than it answers. And likewise, the more I think about it, the more I realize The Piano Teacher is the kind of movie you need to see at least twice.

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