The Piano Teacher (2001)

I almost decided against reviewing this film because watching it made me feel so ill that I had to lure myself out of my upset state with wine and Christmas carols, and I thought writing about it might make me feel horrid again. This may sound silly, but I am not joking. Some movies out there are truly, deeply upsetting, and this is one of them. (But the wine and singing helped and now I feel able to cope.)

Before I watch a movie I often check it out on IMDb or rottentomatoes.com to see how it's fared with the critics. I spotted a particular review of "The Piano Teacher" whose writer felt that to watch this movie was to "stare into a gaping wound". I can't say that I don't agree. There are some movies out there that are disturbing and perverse simply for the sake of being disturbing and perverse (you may have happened to read my review of "Incendies" which I totally called out for this very reason). I haven't quite yet decided whether "The Piano Teacher" is one of them, but I am definitely considering it.

This French/Austrian film stars Isabelle Huppert, who, in 2001, is well into her "femme d'une certaine age" phase (what you say in France when you don't want to say "old" or "middle-aged" when referring to a woman). It tells the story of a highly respected piano teacher (played by Huppert) who meets a young fellow and the relationship that develops. I approached this film as a dramatic romance, but was disappointed to find that the only real drama came from shocking the viewer with scenes of extensive sadomasochism.

To make a good film about sadomasochism can't be easy. The only other film I've seen that tackles the subject is "The Secretary" (2002), which I really enjoyed. "The Secretary" and "The Piano Teacher" have common elements: both focus on women who seek men to sate their urge to be dominated. Both women use self-harm and mutilation to cope with complicated, dysfunctional family relationships. For some reason, though, "The Secretary" worked for me, while "The Piano Teacher" didn't. Perhaps my thoughts on the subject will become distilled with more time. For now, my only explanation for my aversion to this film, apart from the glaring violence and abuse it unapologetically depicts, is the ambiguous fate of the heroine. With a plot line so severe, so in-your-face, the final scene felt too 'hands-off' for me, and I feel a bit cheated after being put through the emotional pain of watching what I did. The performances were excellent, however; Huppert was so raw and pained that I had to pause the film four or five times to allow myself to calm down before I could continue. It definitely does not shy away from anything, and does not approach the Euro-trashiness and pretension of "Ma Mere" (also starring Huppert), but apart from disturb me on a basic level, it didn't do a whole lot.