DVD Review: Piano Teacher, The (A)

The Piano Teacher (2001)
Directed by Michael Haneke
Starring Isabelle Huppert, Benoit Magimel and Annie Girardot
MPAA: UR
Grade: A

Review by Scott Standish

Winner of the best actor, best actress and best film awards at Cannes Film Festival, The Piano Teacher is a shockingly frank glimpse into the mind of a woman with twisted sexual ideas. The acting performance by Isabelle Huppert in the lead role is nothing short of stunning. Mesmerizing yet disturbing, it is truly one of the best movies of the year.

Erika Kohut (Isabelle Huppert) is a respected piano teacher in Vienna and she not only still lives with her mother, she actually sleeps in the same bed with her. Her mother is an obsessive tyrant and her father has been admitted into a mental institution. She is unhappy, dour and deeply serious. Her outward appearance to others is one of strictness, composure and confidence. She needs to lash out against these controlling environments yet instead of directly dealing with the problem (perhaps by moving out?), she starts experimenting with the accepted boundaries of behavior.

Erika's obsessions center around controlling others (her students), controlling herself (via self-mutilation) or being under the control of others sexually. She gets enjoyment out of making her students break down into tears. She visits porn shops and confidently stares down the male patrons as she waits her turn for entrance into a video booth. She even spies on couples as they make love.

The precocious young student Walter Klemmer is smitten with Erika and he boldly makes a play for her affections. She reciprocates - but as you can imagine her ideas on love are quite different than the young school boy's. The chemistry between Isabelle Huppert and Benoit Magimel (playing Klemmer) is fantastic and one of the more explosive pairings you will see on screen.

This is certainly not a film for everyone. More precisely stated, it is probably not a film for most people. The actions of the lead character in this fascinating, yet dark film will definitely disturb many. However, for those not afraid of the subject matter, The Piano Teacher is a powerful film with incredible performances.

Buy The Piano Teacher On DVD From Amazon.com