The Piano (1993) by Jane Campion
How vulnerable can a woman be when indulging in her passions?
In life, as in nature, it is not possible to see beyond the horizon. When, followed by her young daughter Flora, Ada McGrath, a strong-willed and self-sufficient Scottish widow, mute for having willed herself not to speak, arrives in New Zealand as an imported bride for an arranged marriage to a land-grabber named Alisdair Stewart; she certainly could never have imagined what the final outcome would be. However, just as the uncertainty that envelopes us when staring at the distant, indistinguishable horizon is not an obstacle to our most intimate expectations, the wild countryside of mid-19th century New Zealand would soon be revealed to Ada, filling her life with many unpredictable surprises.
Nevertheless, as she faces a journey to an unknown land, Ada's character reveals right from beginning, and through the entire movie, her strong will, never indulging in any weakness. After a brief introduction of Ada's "mind voice" as a narrator, the film opens on a gloomy cloudy day, when a boat that sailed from Nelson lands on a desolate beach of West New Zealand. Whipped by strong waves the …show more content…
On one side lay the male vision of women, as sexual instrument intended for the satisfaction of men's sexual desires, in spite of the detriment of the female human condition. On the other side instead lays man's foolishness when a man indulges in a desperate and obstinate search for sexual gratification. However, the courage and determination Ada shows in each of her actions is emotional, considering her lack of speech. Ada never stops fighting for what she really cares about, even when Stewart chops her finger off. Ultimately, looking at this film from a feminist perspective has allowed me
How vulnerable can a woman be when indulging in her passions?
In life, as in nature, it is not possible to see beyond the horizon. When, followed by her young daughter Flora, Ada McGrath, a strong-willed and self-sufficient Scottish widow, mute for having willed herself not to speak, arrives in New Zealand as an imported bride for an arranged marriage to a land-grabber named Alisdair Stewart; she certainly could never have imagined what the final outcome would be. However, just as the uncertainty that envelopes us when staring at the distant, indistinguishable horizon is not an obstacle to our most intimate expectations, the wild countryside of mid-19th century New Zealand would soon be revealed to Ada, filling her life with many unpredictable surprises.
Nevertheless, as she faces a journey to an unknown land, Ada's character reveals right from beginning, and through the entire movie, her strong will, never indulging in any weakness. After a brief introduction of Ada's "mind voice" as a narrator, the film opens on a gloomy cloudy day, when a boat that sailed from Nelson lands on a desolate beach of West New Zealand. Whipped by strong waves the …show more content…
On one side lay the male vision of women, as sexual instrument intended for the satisfaction of men's sexual desires, in spite of the detriment of the female human condition. On the other side instead lays man's foolishness when a man indulges in a desperate and obstinate search for sexual gratification. However, the courage and determination Ada shows in each of her actions is emotional, considering her lack of speech. Ada never stops fighting for what she really cares about, even when Stewart chops her finger off. Ultimately, looking at this film from a feminist perspective has allowed me