MovieChat Forums > Fingers (1978) Discussion > Is Jimmy even playing the piano?

Is Jimmy even playing the piano?

posted 18 years ago by whofan6983
12 replies | jump to latest

Is Jimmy even playing the piano at his apartment? There's a scene where he's playing the piano in his apartment, I believe right before his try out, and his raises both of his hands yet we continue to hear the music. Is he even playing or just pretending to? Every time he's shown at his piano in his apartment there is always a reel tape running behind him. Maybe he's possibly trying to visualize playing the music perfectly. It's clear that he can somewhat play at the try out just not good under pressure. Did anyone else notice this? Any thoughts?

[–] whofan6983 18 years ago

Hello? Anyone?

[–] andrew_edmonds 18 years ago

i think jimmy was visualizing playing the piece in that scene where he raises his hands..only twice i can say for sure he was definately playing (the opening scene and his audition).

[–] whofan6983 18 years ago

Thanks edmonds. I guess I was right after all and not just imagining things.

[–] JoeLoebner 18 years ago

Harvey Keitel was never really playing the piano. According to a source, Harvey couldn't play a note.

[–] whofan6983 18 years ago

Even if Harvey couldn't play the piano in real life, why would they show a reel to reel tape playing behind him when he was pretending to play in his piano? That wouldn't be necessary. Either there's significance to that or I'm looking way too into this.

[–] 18 years ago

[deleted]

[–] vince_cadena 17 years ago

I think he really could play but I noticed the same thing the first time I saw it and I was like "was that a twist?!". But the second time I saw it I just felt like he was just visualizing it in that moment.

[–] whofan6983 17 years ago

He probably is actually playing. He's a decent piano player but as the film shows he's no where close to performing or having it change his life.

I've wondered if he was completely delusional when it came to his piano playing abilities. He wasn't really a young guy with potential. He was more like someone who never made it but couldn't let go.

[–] scottythefield 14 years ago

Presumably, when the tape machine was running, he was either recording himself or miming to a recording of himself ("himself" being Jimmy, not Keitel.)

[–] forsage 14 years ago

Actually, in the opening scene they briefly show Keitel hitting keys, but for a couple of moments music overlay is off with the image. Maybe the director got tired of all the takes for this scene because clearly Keitel's was not piano-friendly.

On the other hand, this sound/image offbeat was intentional to confuse.

Also, the director could've omit showing Keitel's hands while playing but decided to do so nonetheless.

Interesting!

[–] chowjoe 11 years ago

Harvey Keitel can be an effective actor, but in terms of the musical aspect of this movie, he feels miscast. His humming over the do-wop on the radio in the restaurant with Michael Gazzo sounds tone deaf, his miming of Bach with low-life's in some cellar isn't credible, and in the opening scene, he is almost painful to watch in the way he's unable to "feel" the music. Although Toback must have intended the character's genius to be somewhat self-imagined, Keitel himself simply doesn't have the musicality to pull it off. He's perfect embodying the thuggish aspect of the character though.

[–] chapmanshomer 13 years ago

James Toback establishes this in his commentary. Keitel is listening to a recording of himself that he made, while pretending to play along. Toback himself expressed regret that he didn't make this clearer.
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