The Piano (1992)

This virtuoso drama of a mute woman’s and her daughter’s silent defiance of patriarchy in 19th-century New Zealand still has searing emotional heft.

Long before The Power of the Dog, Jane Campion explored the relationship between sexuality and power with this Palme d’Or-winning tale of a woman, mysteriously mute, arriving with her daughter for an arranged marriage in 19th-century New Zealand, and getting caught up in a strange arrangement with her husband’s neighbour. The titular musical instrument is both bargaining tool and an outlet for private passions.

“So hard to choose just one Jane Campion film, but The Piano still resonates for me and hits the sweet spot thanks to an unbeatable combination of talents, from Campion herself and the stars to Michael Nyman’s transcendent compositions.” Leslie Felperin

“The Piano is a film about passion and love for life, for music, for the essence. It is about the clash between form and content, love and possession, illusion and triviality. It is about uncompromising will and the choice to live one’s own way, at any cost.” Suncica Unevska

“The image of Ada (Holly Hunter) on the beach, a black umbrella in her hand, her daughter on her lap, her piano on the sand, is unforgettable. Every shot in this film evokes painting. Every image is a shock. We go through all the emotions: it is a tortured film, a tale about emancipation, passion, fantasies.” Ava Cahen

“A complex masterpiece full of cinematic language that reflects how women’s rights in the world can be applied to contemporary society.” Anchalee Chaiworaporn

“Jane Campion is arguably one of the few directors who has managed to engender a new humanist vision for cinema at the point of modernity’s decline. Her Piano is a vaccine that has helped cinema’s relevance survive well into the 21st century.” Vigen Galstyan

“One of the most visceral film experiences I had as an 11-year-old moviegoer and the impression has stayed intact. Hunter’s performance and Stuart Dryburgh’s cinematography are something from another world.” Bruno Oseguera Pizaña

“The Piano is a film that springs to mind every time I find myself on a rainy beach or with a hole in my tights. Two hours of perfect, voluptuous repression and desire.” Nazmia Jamal

“Oceanic cinema at its most all-consuming: a singular, senses-stunning wave of eroticism entwined with tragedy, played out on a canvas that demands the biggest screen while piercing the heart with tiny details. You feel something new with each viewing. Campion is also a pioneer in the field of showcasing male nudity in mainstream film, redressing a sexist imbalance that has diminished the artform for decades (and continues to do so). Absolutely wild it didn’t make the top 100 in the critics’ or directors’ poll last time!” Manish Agarwal

1992 Australia, France
Directed by
Jane Campion
Produced by
Jan Chapman
Written by
Jane Campion
Featuring
Holly Hunter, Harvey Keitel, Sam Neill
Running time
120 minutes

Ranked in The Greatest Films of All Time poll

Sight and Sound

Who voted for The Piano

Critics

Mark Adams
UK
Manish Agarwal
UK
Manuel Betancourt
USA
Serge Bromberg
France
Diana Cadavid
Canada
Ava Cahen
France
Anchalee Chaiworaporn
Thailand
Barbara Creed
Australia
Nick Davis
USA
Laura Dos Santos
UK
Diana Drumm
USA
Kate Erbland
USA
Leslie Felperin
UK
Ilaria Feole
Italy
Vigen Galstyan
Armenia
Marya E. Gates
USA
Steph Green
UK
Fionnuala Halligan
UK
Patrick Heidmann
Germany
Nazmia Jamal
UK
Tina Kalinić
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Tomris Laffly
USA
Geoffrey Macnab
UK
Antonio Mariotti
Switzerland
Steven Markovitz
South Africa
Brian Meacham
USA
Lidia Merás
Spain
Maya Montañez Smukler
USA
Bruno Oseguera Pizaña
Mexico
Cristiana Paternò
Italy
Nanna Frank Rasmussen
Denmark
Maria San Filippo
USA
Peter Scarlet
USA/Abu Dhabi
Git Scheynius
Sweden
Yael Shuv
Israel
Anna Smith
UK
Damon Smith
UK
Alison Strauss
UK
Rosie Taylor
UK
Anne Thompson
USA
Müge Turan
Turkey
Suncica Unevska
North Macedonia
Laura Venning
UK
Jendrik Walendy
Germany
Rowan Woods
UK
Esther Zuckerman
USA

Directors

Antoneta Alamat Kusijanović
Sofia Coppola
USA
Julie Dash
Romola Garai
UK
Sarah Gavron
UK
Margo Harkin
Soudade Kaadan
UK
Andrew Kötting
UK
Sharon Maguire
UK
Fisnik Maxville
Switzerland
Helen Petts
UK
Riri Riza
Indonesia