Sexual Perversity in Vienna It's hard to say what this film is about. The plot has been repeated by others. In summary, the piano teacher follows her sexual fantasies down a path that leads to her destruction. It is as others have said a disturbing film, but for me this is not a compliment. There is little in the film worth taking away. The teacher herself is not especially interesting. She is abusive, mean-spirited, aggressive and destructive as a teacher. She maims one of her charges because the young girl dares to smile at the teacher's new sex toy, a young stud who has convinced himself, unconvincingly, that he loves his tyrant teacher. She is not just perverse; she is criminally insane. Her mother, who is every bit as sick and twisted, is a sexual voyeur and tormentor who exploits her daughter's bizarre sexual predilections which include porn shop cruising, drive-in movie peeping, and self-mutilation. Once she gets her hands on her new charge, she presents him in writing with a list of perverse demands. The handsome boy realizes that he is dealing with a sicko and runs for the hills. She stabs herself. I got little out of watching this mess. Who's to know what it all means or what the author intended. I came up with the idea that this "World" is meant to be "Vienna," Europe's literal or symbolic music capital, a city of beautiful music and the birthplace of Hitler and the author, even though Paris has been used as the film's setting by the director. These two "sides" of Europe seem to coexist, according to the author, but we are given no hint as to what one is meant to do with this knowledge.
Holy crap... I cannot deny that this was a powerful film. There are scenes in this film that are so strong that they simply cannot be ignored. Most of you have probably read the synopsis already, so I'll just go on with my review. This film is either one of two things. Either it's a sorry excuse to torture the audience, or it is a richly textured character study of a woman who has some deeply rooted problems. I believe it's a bit of both - and I am no prude. I am always up for a challenging film, but there were times during The Piano Teacher where I just wanted to look away. I came close to cutting it off. However, I have set a strict rule for myself, in that the first time I watch a film, I watch it in it's entirety. I finished it, and I am glad that I did. There would have been no point in stopping it prematurely. The performances were excellent all around. Isabelle Huppert is totally and utterly convincing in what had to have been a difficult, exhausting role. Haneke's direction was amazing as well. The end was very powerful, and haunted me for a week.
I still can't stop thinking about this film, however I don't think that I could recommend it, either. Watch if you must.
Strange, Indeed This one mixes classical music and weird sexual perversion. I didn't know whether to chuckle or take it seriously. It is one of the more surreal movies you'll ever watch, debate or not about what it says about women and men. Very French, and by that I mean minimal, yet saying a lot, or seeming to, anyway. The whole thing is pretty senseless, in the end, I thought. The mother-daughter scenes will make you wince, or worse.
Indifference and love meet Isabelle Huppert, plays a fastiduous piano teacher inside the establishments of French high culture and music. As a professional instructor, she is determined to turn students into fine piano players. Nevertheless outside her professional life, she descends into pornography and sexual taboo.
In the midst of her exploration of sexuality, a young male student falls in love with her. Why, don't ask? I don't think she has too much personality going for her myself. She constantly suppresses her intimate feelings, while her student devotes his unremitting attention to her. I will spare you the the details. Warning, see this movie without your children.
A transgression of love O' Isabelle Huppert, are you okay? I was previously blown away by her performance in Ma Mere, and she is way too convincing in this twisted role as well. This is a story of love with no threshold or sustenance, no inkling of traditional romance, no redeeming qualities. Here love is a battle, a desperate struggle for control. It's actually pretty depressing. You've got the cold, calculative piano instructor named Erika(Huppert) who has subtle ways of demoralizing her students. This might partially stem from her home life, where her elderly mother tries to control her every move. Aside from that, Erika has some extremely bizarre sexual fetishes lingering just below the surface. And then she meets Walter, a handsome young student that gets drawn in to her perverse world. The outcome is quite unsettling. There is a sex scene as strange and unappealing as the one between Nicolas Cage and Elizabeth Shue in Leaving Las Vegas. This art movie is a lot to absorb. Director Haneke comes through again.
Anything Goes Trivia
Megaton Man
Trevor
