Possessions that are not often used can be very valuable to their owners. It is not uncommon for people to keep family furniture, artwork, and other mementos. These pieces often have long stories of their own, and The Piano, an adaptation of August Wilson's play of the same name, uses the eponymous play as its starting point to tell a long and complicated tale that is poignant, surprisingly funny, and insightful. Family History. In 1936, young Willie and his best friend Lymon drive from Mississippi to the Pittsburgh house that his sister Berniece shares with their uncle Doker. Boy Willie has brought watermelons to sell, but he already has his eye on his next big money-maker: the family piano, which he hopes to use to make the money he needs to buy the land where his grandfather once lived as a slave. But Berniece is determined to keep the piano, which she never plays, while being haunted by the presence of a ghost she believes lives upstairs.
This is the latest film adaptation of one of Wilson's award-winning stage works, following Fences and Ma Rainey's Black Bottom. This film version certainly has its own flavor, less theatrical than the former and with as much non-piano musical content as the latter. The dialogue is certainly powerful and memorable, resembling the exchanges we often see on stage, but the flashbacks to both the Pittsburgh home and the devastating time in Mississippi effectively elevate the experience to something properly cinematic. There are many layers to this story, and it's fascinating to watch the characters interact as tensions mount in their cramped surroundings. Berniece is already caring for her daughter, Maretha, and fending off the romantic advances of local preacher Avery. Another uncle offers his own unsolicited version, as both he and Doaker recount the fateful events that led to the piano's acquisition and its importance in the lives of the next generation, who never knew slavery but certainly faced discrimination and racism. However, their interactions are all too narrow-minded to be depicted in the film.
The Piano has an excellent cast. Washington is no better than Boy Willie, a smooth-spoken go-getter with clear goals to achieve but who often gets in his own way. Deadwyler wasn't nominated for an Oscar for his outstanding performance in Till, but he could be up for a nomination in the future. Her role as Berniece is memorable, bringing a lot of history and emotion to the family story. Fisher speaks slowly and kindly, and you get the sense that Lymon sees the world in a much simpler way than anyone else, and perhaps a healthier way. Hawkins and Potts are given great material, and Jackson, the most prominent of the cast, does what he's asked to do, injecting humor while still leaving the standout moments alone. Coworkers. Set nearly a century ago, the film feels like it's from another world. Nevertheless, its subject matter is moving and its depiction of complicated family relationships feels unmistakably authentic. It's powerful to see the transformation of this black family through changing times through their own words and memories, and Malcolm Washington, son of Denzel and star John David, who produced the film, makes a confident directorial debut that shows how confident he is in working collaboratively with the actors and on set. The film is a powerful, enduring snapshot of history told in a powerful, passionate way that won't be easily forgotten. Read more at:
https://www.instapaper.com/read/1730636837
https://atavi.com/share/wykgcyz9p5qf
https://letterboxd.com/hurawatch45/list/wicked-2024-recent-musical-film/
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