The Piano (M) PRESENTED IN 35MM FILM

The Piano (M, 1993) Presented in 35mm Film by The Revival House Perth

In 19th century New Zealand, Ada McGrath (Holly Hunter) is a mute Scottish woman sent to marry a distant colonial farmer, Alastair Stewart (Sam Neill), whom she's never met. Ada communicates through sign language and her piano—a prized possession she brings with her across the ocean. Upon arrival in the remote, muddy New Zealand wilderness, Ada discovers her piano has been left on the beach, abandoned because Alastair considers it impractical. When the rough, uncivilized local laborer Baines (Harvey Keitel) obtains the piano, he offers Ada a deal: she can earn it back by visiting his home and playing for him. What begins as a transactional arrangement evolves into an intense, passionate affair as Ada falls in love with Baines through music and touch. As her forbidden relationship deepens, Ada must choose between her husband's social respectability and Baines' raw emotional authenticity, a choice that will transform her life irrevocably.

Director Jane Campion's 1993 debut feature is a visually stunning, erotically charged exploration of passion, communication, and female desire. Holly Hunter, in an Oscar-winning performance, communicates profound emotion without uttering a word—her face, hands, and piano playing become instruments of expression. Harvey Keitel brings unexpected sensitivity and genuine tenderness to Baines, a man defined by his rough exterior but capable of deep emotional connection. Sam Neill portrays Alastair with understandable bewilderment at his wife's passionate nature and her refusal to conform to colonial expectations. Stuart Dryburgh's cinematography renders the New Zealand landscape as simultaneously beautiful and threatening, while the muddy, primitive colonial setting emphasizes the rawness of emotion and physicality. Michael Nyman's minimalist piano score becomes integral to the film's emotional language. The film celebrates female sexuality and agency while examining how patriarchal systems attempt to suppress both.

Original format and audio experience of this film faithfully reproduced by The Revival House. Presented in 35mm film unless noted otherwise.

When: Sunday, July 19th at 3:40PM
Where: The Revival House at the Como Theatre
Rating: M (Medium level sex scene, Low level violence)