Sound in The Piano

The Narrative feature of Sound is a big part of the film The Piano. Both silence and music are used to create meaning.

Silence

The film The Piano has a lot of silence in it. One big reason for this is that the main character, Ada, does not speak. The scenes with her in them are filled with mystery and the audience is intrigued as to what she is thinking, and what she will do next. Scenes such as the one at 74:23, when Ada visits Baines, are slightly uncomfortable and eerie. The fact she doesn’t speak creates a lot of tension between the characters and makes the audience feel this tension. Adas silence symbolizes her anguish at being oppressed and her feeling like she cannot  express herself in her society. The silence utilised in The Piano is very different from other films, and I believe it breaks the convention of many romance movies. The audience cannot focus or sing along to the classic rom-com music, so the audience notice more about the characters, mise en scene, and visual elements. Ada is silent, and this is creates a very peculiar dynamic in scenes. The silence is long and drawn out, and so are the words that are spoken. The silence makes the audience really listen and try to interpret the things the characters say. I believe the silence really helps contribute to the dark and grim undertones of the movie, and enforces Adas feeling of opression and feeling like she cant express herself in her society.   

Music

Music plays a big part in The Piano. The music score is mostly piano music, and one song in particular is repeated throughout the film. The music actually represents Ada’s voice, her thoughts and her feelings. We can listen to the music and know what she feels. Ada herself says “I do not make myself quiet. That is because of my Piano.” The same song is repeated throughout the film. This helps show the continuity of Ada's character throughout the movie, mirroring the way she is always stubborn and refuses to stay in her gender role. However, the song is played differently in different parts of the film. There are different intensitys, tempos, volumes, that help to create a different meaning, moods and atmospheres in different scenes.
For instance, in the climax scene, it is played getting louder, and keeps doubling in speed. This is a big part of the building intensity and creating the effective climax the scene is. The change in the tune shows the audience Adas changing feelings and thoughts. The past pace and loud playing of the music in the finger cutting scene shows the audience Ada feels threatened and scared. As the fight moves outside, the tempo doubles again, mirroring the fright and desperation Ada is feeling in this scene.
Another scene is when Ada must leave the Piano on the beach. The song is played slowly and with sadness, showing Ada doesn’t feel comfortable with leaving the piano. It is played softly and thoughfully, showing that Ada is thinking about the importance of the piano and expression to her. 
When Ada visits the Piano on the beach, she plays the song quickly and spritely. This shows she feels happy that she can again express her feelings.
 Another example of the music accurately mirroring what Ada is feeling Is when Ada plays in her sleep. The music is loud and she plays angrily, stabbing at the keys. This shows her anger at her husband for keeping her locked up. The careless and angry sound of the song, and loud tempo of the song at this point in the movie gives Ada a chance to express herself. The audience sees her exasperation at being confined to her gender role, and being opreesed by her husband, two main themes from the film.  
When Ada is in Nelson at the end of the movie, the music is steady and played in major. This gives the audience the impression that Ada is fulfilled and finally happy. The sad undertones are gone and the conflict has been resolved. Using the piano music as another outlet to create characters emotion helps the audience see yet another aspect to how they are feeling. The tone of the actual music gives a feeling to the audience.  I have never seen a movie where the music has such an impression on the audience, and has passed a mood through me.   

Mise-en-scène in the Piano

 ‘Mise-en-scène’ are all the things on the screen that create a message and a vibe. It is the arrangement of everything on the screen that help the director communicate their ideas. Aspects of Mise-en-scène include lighting, costume and setting. In the film The Piano, director Jane Campion uses the narrative feature of Mise-en-scène very effectively to create powerful meaning and feelings. One of the most prevalent scenes Campion used this in, is the scene where Alistair cuts off Ada’s finger. 

Lighting

Lighting was used extremely effectively in the scene where Ada’s finger gets chopped off, and throughout the whole movie. When Alistair confronts Ada in the house, (97:13), the lighting is warm and homely. This makes the audience feel conflicted and confused. The warm lighting looks normal, and this makes the the audience really focus in on the fight that is unfolding. The normal lighing is contrasted with the abnormal scene. However, as the couple move the fight to outside, (97:37) the lighting changes dramatically. It suddenly becomes dark and gloomy. Everything looks bleaker and scarier. This sends a negative feeling to the audience, and the audience feels more scared and worried. The dark lighting in this scene helps to raise the intensity, and also is used to surround the characters in gloom and despair. the dark lighting makes the audience feel more uneasy, and really reflects Adas feeling at the time. She feels scared, a colur which is often shown in dark, black colours. Lighting is also used very well in the rest of the film. One other example is the way Campion uses lighting to reflect how Ada feels. For example, in Baines house, when Ada realizes she loves him, there is light shining in the window, and Ada is illuminated. This shows the audience that she feels happy and finally has a place she can belong. Another example is when Ada plays the piano on the beach. Sunlight streams onto Ada’s face and she smiles. To the audience she looks brighter and happier. Campion shows, through the lighting that Ada feels happiness when she is playing the piano and expressing herself.

Setting

Setting is a big part of Mise-en-scène which helps evoke a feeling in the audience. The Piano was shot on location on the rugged west coast of the South Island of New Zealand. The setting is dark, cold, harsh and scary. The setting made Ada feel isolated and scared, in what should  have been her happy home. The woods are wet,muddy and filthy, and it is a very unpleasant place. The grim setting gives the audience a miserable feel, and scenes in the harsh environment feel more desperate and cruel. In the scene where Ada’s finger is cut off, at 98:31 there is torrential rain, dark lighting and mud. These combined give a horrible feel to the scene. It feels cold, sad, hopeless and desolate. The thunder storm also helps add to the intensity. There are also fallen trees spiking out of the ground. These give the feeling the setting is unforgiving and scary, and makes the setting look more brutal and violent. The harsh setting of this particular scene helps reflect the violence the Alistair is showing and also helps make  the scene the terrible climax it is. The terrrible setting of the entire movie reflects Adas emotjions, and shows how she is sad and lonely, and not happy in her home. The film is also set in a historical period  which is very important to creating the character of Ada. Because of the time and place, Ada is forced to do what she is told, and is oppressed by Alistair. She is supposed to stay at home and be the perfect wife to Alistair, but she chooses not to.      

Costume

Ada's costume is very important in the movie. It symbolises her oppression, as she is forced to wear the large uncomfortable thing by society. It represents her being held to what society tells her to do, and what she supposed to be. she feels trapped, both by the cage-like dress, and by societies rules that she is supposed to follow.  However, Ada also uses the dress as protection, both on the beach and from Alasdair advances.  Ada always wears dark colours, blacks and browns. This makes her look sad and unhappy all of the time, as she is surrounded in a colour that evokes sadness in the audience. However, we see this change at the end of the movie. Adas new dress is not as big, and a blue floral pattern. This shows she is opening up, and becoming happier. She no longer feels uncomfortable, and can now express herself, and love who ahe wishes. 
Another character who's costume was important was Flora. She is not yet condemned to wear the burdens of being a women in that time period, so her costume changes throughout the movie. In the scene where Ada's finger is cut off, her costume is very important. She is dressed in white with angel wings, showing she is innocent and pure, and tried to do the right thing, however, as soon as she make the decision to take the note to Alistair and not Baines, she becomes dirty and guilty. The storm and mud makes her covered in dirt, and then her mothers blood splatters on her and her clothes. This shows she has seen the consequences to her actions and that she has hurt her mother.       

Visual Elements in The Piano

Visual Elements are visible characteristics which contribute to the appearance of something; in this case this is elements such as camera angle, camera movement, editing pace, special effects and shot sizes. The film The Piano, in the scene beginning at 1:30:30 and ending at 1:35:19, the narrative feature of Visual Elements is used very effectively.

When Flora is taking the message to Alistair, there is a close up of her face, as she spins around. This shows that she thinks about changing her path, and that her decision will have a large effect. This shot emphasises the loss of innocence in Flora, one of the major themes in this scene.  It then cuts to a low angle shot of Flora running up the hill. This shows that she hold the power to decide what will happen and is influential to the scene. This shot shows the audience what an important scene this is, and what an important decision this is. This shot is strange and stands out, becuase it is very different form other camera angles in the movie. As Flora is often the small child, who does not make decisions that change te course of the movie. However, she is seen here with the power to effect other characters. There is another low angle shot, when Flora gives the love note to Alistair, The camera then begins to follow Alistair and leave Flora behind. This shot shows Alistair now holds the power to decide what happens next, and he and that he intends to hurt Ada. The audience begins to feel more dread about what will happen, beacause the power is now with a angry and strong man, who carries an axe. This shot in combination with the dark, cold and harsh enviroment makes the audience feel the negative vibes and the terror that something is about to happen to the likable main character. 

The movie then cuts to a travelling shot in the dark forest. Trees and braches go in front of the camera and the audience is confused about what is happening. The desperate manner of the shot is mirroring the anguish Alistair is feeling. It is at this point where the pace quickens. As the film is mostly edited at a slow and prolonged pace, this is different and the audience realizes the importance and drama of the scene. The shot and pace makes the audience realize that a climax is coming, and also captivates us to keep watching to see what Alistair does. There is then a close up of the axe held in Alistair hand (1:32:23) this shot is emphasizing the importance of the axe and is foreshadowing the future. The importance of the axe was foreshadowed in a previous scene, when the play was being performes. This shot show the audience the gravity of the situation, and we feel fear and worry for Ada, as we know Alistair is erratic, has a harmful weapon, and will hurt her. The audience of the movie react to the axe the same way the audience of the play react to to the axe in the play. They are scared and upset, and feel dread for the woman being hurt.

The shots in the sequence at the house (1:32:37) follows Ada and Alistair’s dance like fight. We focus both on Alistair’s anger and Adas silence. Campion has effectively shown both of their emotions. Alistair’s through his dialogue and performance, and Adas through camera shots and performance. The extreme close up of the thread (97:16) and close up of Ada looking at it shows that Ada is thinking about what she should be, decided by society. This shot helps show one of the movies main themes, womens gender roles. This shot shows the audience what Ada should be acting like, but also, how Ada rejects this gender role, and wants to do what she wants. The audience in this day and age agree with Ada on this topic, and believe women should be free to do what they want to.She should speak and assure her husband she doesn’t love Baines, and go back to living the life a women was meant to lead. But she stares straight at the thread and doesn’t say anything. These two close ups show us that Ada is defiant, and doesn’t wish to lead the life she was supposed to. It also shows the audience just how much freedom andliberty women have these days.  Another close up, of the axe hitting the piano (97:07) shows us how Ada feels. As the Piano is a symbol for an extension of her being and her expression and it has just been attacked, Ada herself feels like he is being assaulted and she cannot express herself and choose for herself. This is related to the theme of gender roles also, because Ada's expression and freedom is being controlled by her husband. 

As they move outside, the camera focuses on Ada and her struggle. We are on the level down with Ada and we are associating with her. We see her helpless and desperate fight to get away and the tension builds. We feel the inevitability that something bad will happen to her. This shot shows the opression of women, because Ada must do what hr husband tells her, or else, she will have a cruel punishment like this. The editing pace is a big part of creating the drama of the climax. The quicker pace makes Adas struggle seem more desperate and makes her seem more distressed. At 98:08 there is an extreme close up of Adas hand, moving to a close up of her face. This shot effectively shows she is being held down and dominated by the man. This shot shows the character of ada's strength, (because she still does not speak) and her refusal to live under the gender roles, and be opressed by man. I personally felt in this scene a kind of want, a need for Ada to say something, so that Alistair wont hurt her. Campion has drawn the audience in, and the audience must watch with fear to see what will happen to Ada. The audience again feels her powerlessness and dread for what will happen.