By Newfusion
It is true that Jane Campion’s reminiscent narrative of empowerment and intrigue, ‘The Piano’, is both visually stunning and offers a unique perspective on the liberties of women during the colonial ages, set in the untamed beauty of the New Zealand wilderness. However the matter of the fact is that the 1993 romantic drama, gives the false premonition that it somehow idolizes female empowerment and independence, but Jane Campion endorses the patriarchal constructs of society at the time, revealing to the world just how single minded we are when it comes to the acquiescence of women during the mid-19th century. The film insinuates the sexual assumption that women will surrender their body for ‘artistic’ license. Moreover, Ada’s complacency and ‘blind’ oppression normalizes systems of power between men and women and finally, a submissive view of women in the film is shown by portraying Ada as a mute, compromising her position with male characters, and classifying her as weak and lacking self-confidence, at least initially.
The Piano is not a feminist film because for one is insinuates the assumption that women surrender their body for artistic license. In this case, upon their first piano lesson with George Baines, Ada McGrath grants him permission to objectify her in exchange for piano keys. This is shown in the film dialogue when she agrees to Baines saying, ‘You see I’d like us to make a deal. There’s things I want to do while you stay. If you let me, you can earn it back. What do you think, one visit for every key.’ A key scene that really defines the interactions between the male characters (Baines and Alistair) and Ada for the majority of the film occurs when Baines stares at Ada while she uncomfortably plays the piano. At the start of the film, Ada almost repulsed Baines’ arrogance and sexual manipulation but as the film progresses, she is afflicted by him and eventually declares her love for him. This suggests to the audience that bribing women for artistic license (the piano) in turn for sexual gratification elicits an emotional connection from the woman. Not only is this wrong but Jane Campion’s portrayal of Ada and Baines romanticizes the sexist and abusive institutions that were present during the time. The existence of this unhealthy relationship is shown when Baines says, ‘I am giving the piano back to you. I’ve had enough. The arrangement is making you a whore and me wretched. I want you to care for me, but you can’t.’ Jane Campion glorifies sexual manipulation with regards to the primary relationship between Ada McGrath and George Baines, making the film far less about ‘contemporary feminism’ and more a sexist and romantic fantasy one would come across in romance novels.
Furthermore, Ada’s complacency and ‘blind’ oppression normalizes systems of power between men and women, still existing to some degree in today’s society. Reshela Dupuis, a strong advocate for true feminism stated, ‘Campion’s attempt to mask her film’s underlying significating formalism in a narrative of romantic passion set in a historical fantasy has barely disguised her covert project of authorising a gendered, sexualised and distinctly contemporary colonialism’ in her article on romanticizing of colonialism. Whilst the film does bring light on the patriarchal society we live in, the difficulties that women, and Ada (as a mute) face in the world, it does not portray female empowerment and instead the interactions between Ada and Alistair normalizes and highlights the abusive and male dominated institutions at the time. Shown in the film when, Alistair after looking in on Ada and Baines having sex is overcome with jealousy and attacks Ada, trying to rape her. The indifference and nonsensical dialogue in the following scenes between the two characters really exposes the flaw in Campion normalizing this type of physical and emotional abuse. Another instance where Ada’s complacency and lack of power let her down is when Alistair flew into a rage after discovering Ada’s true feelings towards Baines by the handwritten note he received by Flora, he was able to physically punish Ada and she chose to keep silent throughout the entire ordeal, eventually surrendering. Some say that Ada’s decision to stay silent speaks to her strengths, but it only normalizes abuse in today’s society and shows that Ada’s decision to not speak, fight back or yell for help impacts her physical and emotional state of mind, subconsciously allowing herself to be oppressed in a time where it was normal to be so.
Moreover, Jane Campion portrays a submissive view of women in the film by portraying Ada as a mute, and thereby implicating all her interactions with the characters as weak and putting her at an instant disadvantage. Ada’s decision to be mute does not suggest female empowerment and self-confidence, instead it normalizes roles of traditional women during the times, which were to cook, clean and take care of children, all whilst letting men do the speaking. This is shown in the film in one instance at the start of the film, a voiceover by future Ada, ‘today he(dad) married me to a man I’ve not yet met. Soon my daughter and I shall join him in his own country. My husband said my muteness does not bother him. He writes and hark this: God loves dumb creatures, so why not he!’ By making Ada unable to speak, Jane Campion allowed her to be subjected to judgement and put her at an instant disadvantage, especially by Alistair and Baines, but also many of the female characters such as Aunt Morag and Nessie, who often speak ill of her. Many instances of this occur in the film such as, ‘can you hear me? [Alistair]. Ada nods and looks up coldly, insulted by his slow loud speaking.’ In addition, going back to the first paragraph, Jane Campion’s portrayal of Ada being mute is what enabled Baines to coerce her in the first place, prying on her inability to communicate without the piano, and being able to use that against her to satisfy his needs at the time. In doing so, the film promotes manipulating oppressed and impaired women for sexual favours, constituting the opposite of a feminist film.
Jane Campion’s acclaimed film, the Piano is far from a ‘true’ feminist film. By insinuating the sexual assumption that women will surrender their body for ‘artistic license’ and glorifying manipulation, normalizing systems of power between men and women by rendering Ada complacent and oppressed, as well as compromising her interactions with the characters, lacking of any self-confidence, by interpreting the main female character as mute. True feminism is about empowering women to feel confident in their own skin, surrounded and accepted as equals in society and standing up against rooted injustice and oppression towards women in society.
References:
- DuPuis (1996) — Romanticizing Colonialism- Power and Pleasure in Jane Campion’s The Piano.
- https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/film/the-piano-a-feminist-classic-25-years-on-it-doesn-t-look-like-it-1.3527987
- https://imsdb.com/scripts/Piano,-The.html
- https://marygabriellestrause.medium.com/analysis-on-jane-campion-s-the-piano-f0bf78f7c7f1
- The Piano (1993) film
