The Piano (1993) - Analyze a Still Image

[DJAKO]

I'm writing a paper on The Piano which I recently saw in one of my classes. We were asked to analyze a still image from the movie, which I have attached below.

If anybody can help me, I'm struggling to fill up three pages on this image.

Obviously, the role of the piano was a huge part in Ada McGrath's life. I feel the image shown speaks, so much, but I'm just having a hard time putting it in words. The role of the ocean in her voyage over to New Zealand and also the role it plays as she pushes her piano over the edge of the boat towards the end of the movie, almost taking her own life.

I'm just looking for some good movie terms to describe this image and any other help you guys can give me would be grateful.

Thanks, I hope this post is in the right section.

 

[obeygiant]

We had to analyze The Piano as well in film school. I believe the piano came to represent her and/or her sexuality as she was in an arranged marriage and she became a commodity to be moved and toiled over. That image you posted could represent how out of reach her body was in regards to her "self". There are many papers written on this film; a quick search dug this up. Hope this helps.

 

[yojitani]

I can't remember that film. In fact, as I recall my ex and I got into an argument midway through so when we got to the end of the film neither one of us really understood what was going on.

Anyhow, things that stand out to me in that still are perspective (the camera eye, apparently, rather than the eye of a character?), depth (the picture includes the foreground and distance), sensual inclusion of the woman's neck which has a suggestive symmetry with the piano. Notice that the centre of the still is empty, so instead you have the neck on one side and the piano on the other.

 

[MrCheeto]

This is why I said "f the system" and chose to attend a remedial school to finish sooner, these kinds of assignments are BULL CRAP inside and out!

Gee, NASA's going to be so impressed that I wrote six pages on how Walden is an analogy for the Cold War even though they're completely unrelated and distanced by time.

Our curriculum is BS and that's why the Chinese are winning at space battleship!

Try, just try, to get into an accelerated learning institute or remedial school, they don't pace you, YOU set your pace, and most importantly they don't have these stop gap assignments.

 

[.Andy]

This is why I said "f the system" and chose to attend a remedial school to finish sooner, these kinds of assignments are BULL CRAP inside and out!

Gee, NASA's going to be so impressed that I wrote six pages on how Walden is an analogy for the Cold War even though they're completely unrelated and distanced by time.

Our curriculum is BS and that's why the Chinese are winning at space battleship!

Try, just try, to get into an accelerated learning institute or remedial school, they don't pace you, YOU set your pace, and most importantly they don't have these stop gap assignments.

What a incredible endorsement of remedial school.

 

[Mr_Brightside_@]

This is why I said "f the system" and chose to attend a remedial school to finish sooner, these kinds of assignments are BULL CRAP inside and out!

Gee, NASA's going to be so impressed that I wrote six pages on how Walden is an analogy for the Cold War even though they're completely unrelated and distanced by time.

Our curriculum is BS and that's why the Chinese are winning at space battleship!

Try, just try, to get into an accelerated learning institute or remedial school, they don't pace you, YOU set your pace, and most importantly they don't have these stop gap assignments.

What the what is this? Your paranormal activity is going to your head.

OP: why did you choose this still in particular? I mean, did you have any other ideas?

 

[MrCheeto]

What a incredible endorsement of remedial school.

It's just moronic to waste time to accomplish the same thing.

Finish faster, earn the same degree, Wikipedia is free and constantly updated.

What have I learned in school? How to make boondoggle keychains and play UNO.

What have I learned in my personal off-time watching The History Channel, Discovery, National Geographic, TLC (before it became childbirth and freaks), and internetz? Everything I know today.

As a matter of fact, I was capable of reading about 2 years before I started school...I really hate our system.

D 5, Sector Beta...man I love space battleship, just not our team >8

 

[.Andy]

What have I learned in my personal off-time watching The History Channel, Discovery, National Geographic, TLC (before it became childbirth and freaks), and internetz? Everything I know today.

I'd never have guessed.

 

[MrCheeto]

You're funny, though you never knew the largest pyramid is actually in Peru and vending machines are horrible somersault platforms.

 

[.Andy]

My scaphoid knew the latter.

 

[Carmelita]

Maybe you could talk about the angle of the shot, i.e. why did the director frame this shot in this particular way, why didn't he use POV shot.. the effect of the use of foreground/background, what's the focus of this shot and why did the director want the audience to focus on that particular element..

I didn't watch The Piano but I hope that my suggestions could help you with your analysis.

 

[Ugg]

Back in an era where exposed skin was minimal, many men waxed eloquent over women's necks and ankles. The back of the neck is also a vulnerable point of one's anatomy.

I can't remember what part of the film this was from, the beginning or the end? If the end, then maybe the frame was meant to portray a certain sense of grief, if the beginning, maybe some vague wish for the Piano to be washed away.

 

[Signal-11]

It's just moronic to waste time to accomplish the same thing.

Finish faster, earn the same degree, Wikipedia is free and constantly updated.

What have I learned in school? How to make boondoggle keychains and play UNO.

What have I learned in my personal off-time watching The History Channel, Discovery, National Geographic, TLC (before it became childbirth and freaks), and internetz? Everything I know today.

As a matter of fact, I was capable of reading about 2 years before I started school...I really hate our system.

D 5, Sector Beta...man I love space battleship, just not our team >8

Do you have a newsletter I can subscribe to?

 

[iBlue]

We had to analyze The Piano as well in film school. I believe the piano came to represent her and/or her sexuality as she was in an arranged marriage and she became a commodity to be moved and toiled over. That image you posted could represent how out of reach her body was in regards to her "self". There are many papers written on this film; a quick search dug this up. Hope this helps.

I agree with that. I also felt the piano represented a part of her that could be heard, since she didn't speak. A lot of expressive symbolism there.

That was a fantastic link, BTW (even if I had to copy/paste into a document to read it). Now I want to see this movie again.