The Piano Teacher (2001)

The Piano Teacher is the next film in line for the 24-hour watch of Von Trier and Haneke films.. and what we have here is rather unsettling in the surface.

The character of Erika started off as just a dedicated Piano teacher, nothing really wrong with her, besides her 'seemingly' annoyance with the crush of a younger man. However, as the film progresses the audience is let in to the true manifestation of this character... and it isn't easy to accept. Isabelle Huppert is fantastic here, and we see just how contrasting her appearance to the outside world is compared to her hidden pleasures. Dialogue doesn't have to be said for us to truly grasp what kind of person this is, and instead Haneke masterfully uses un- edited scenes to show it. The 2nd half of the film is where it turns perverse. Although the film's turns even more intriguing than before, it's not that easy to watch and asks for full attention.

The Piano Teacher is exactly the type of film that I would have expected from Haneke, since I have already seen The White Ribbon and also the 'cruel' Funny Games US Version. The truth is that like Breaking the Waves and Dancer in the Dark (also Von Trier provocative films that I saw yesterday) The Piano Teacher will surely not be forgotten by me and possibly anyone who watches it.


It wasn't as entertaining as Dancer in the Dark, or as heartbreaking, BUT it definetely feels overall more satisfying by the end and definetely has the tone that it has more depth to it overall (because let's face it, I can tell when a film is overall 'better', BUT doesn't mean you I can actually prove it by it's meaning). Still, 8.5/10


I would probably rank it below The White Ribbon for NOW. I think I am officially wiped out after the 2 Von Trier films last night and this. You can also definetely tell their films by their style, and I could see Von Trier directing this but with a more 'amateurish' look but more visceral. That is the main difference between Von Trier and Haneke that I have seen so far, ALSO that Von Trier's films all seem to run a common thread point about woman and their destruction, while Haneke DOES not.


My VERY SHAKY ranking of their films-
Von Trier= blue
Haneke= red


1. Dogville 10/10
2. Breaking the Waves 9.5/10
3. Funny Games US 9.5/10
4. The White Ribbon 9/10
5. The Piano Teacher 8.5/10
6-7 Dancer in the Dark/ Antichrist 8.5/10


As of now, it seems as if Haneke is more consistent, BUT I would still prefer Von Trier's style (although it's hard to judge when all of them have been great films and when 5-7 are SO shaky and could change in any order)





http://www.imdb.com/board/bd0000005/thread/124607950