| | Piano Teacher DVD
| Category | Dramas DVDs, Foreign Films Movies, Essential Cinema Videos, Sex, French, Sadomasochism (S&M) | | Starring | Isabelle Huppert, Benoit Magimel, Annie Girardot, Susanne Lothar, Udo Samel, Cornelia Kondgen, Anna Sigalevitch, Thomas Weinhappel | | Director | Michael Haneke | | Director of Photography | Christian Berger | | Executive Producer | Christine Gozlan, Yvon Crenn, Michael Katz | | Producer | Veit Heiduschka | | Screenwriter | Michael Haneke | | Source Writer | Alfriede Jelinek |
Based on Elfriede Jelinek's controversial 1983 novel, "The Piano Teacher" tells the story of Erika (Isabelle Huppert), a middle-aged classical piano instructor who is trapped between her rigid passion for music and her suffocating home life. After subtly tormenting her students at a Vienna conservatory and battling her domineering mother in an undeclared war at home, Erika seeks solitary release through nightly voyeuristic wanderings and self-inflicted masochistic experiments. Stars Anna Sigalevitch, Annie Girardot, Benoit Magimel, Isabelle Huppert, Susanne Lothar, Udo Samel - Director: Michael Haneke. Erika (Isabelle Huppert) teaches classical piano in a cold and often abrasive style. Approaching middle age, she lives with her doting mother (Annie Girardot) and still sleeps in the same bed with her. Erika's social life consists of occasionally sneaking away to a peep show where she secretly comes into contact with perverse passion, often using the discarded trash of previous customers. Her beautiful piano playing seduces youthful Walter (Benoit Magimel), who then takes the instructor's advanced class. Walter reveals his desire during a class session. Erika reacts curiously, presenting a long list of cruel, humiliating sexual acts she would like him to perform on her. Meanwhile, the teacher also torments a talented student (Anna Sigalevitch) who is already plagued by her own fears.
Michael Haneke (CODE UNKNOWN) directed this unflinching allegorical tale of cruelty. The film caused a stir at the Cannes Film Festival where it was controversial not only for its subject matter, but also because it won multiple awards there--the Grand Prize and acting awards for both Huppert and Magimel--despite leaving many audience members outraged. Based on a novel by Elfriede Jelinek, the film features numerous classical piano sonatas banged out in an aggressive style. Theatrical release: March 29, 2002 (NY) Piano Teacher Reviews: "...The movie is a stunner....This is one of the great Huppert performances..."
-- Mike Clark, USA Today "...Haneke's psycho-drama boasts a searing performance from Isabelle Huppert..."
-- Geoffrey Macnab, Sight and Sound "...Watching Huppert, a great actress tearing into a landmark role, is riveting..."
-- Peter Travers, Rolling Stone "...Isabelle Huppert gives one of her greatest screen performances....[A] powerfully disquieting film..."
-- Stephen Holden, New York Times Piano Teacher | List Price | $29.95 (You save $8.46) | | Studio | Kino on Video | | Orig Year | 2002 | | DVD Encoding | Region 1 | | All Time Sales Rank |  54012  | | CD Universe Part number | 5256885 | | Catalog number | 2642 | | Discs | 1 | | Release Date | Nov 05, 2002 | | Rating | R (MPAA) | | Also Known As | Pianiste | | Running Time | 125 Minutes | | Additional Info | Widescreen; Rated | | Movie Details | Color; Digitally Mastered; Letter Boxed; Widescreen; Rated; R-Rated |
Piano Teacher Movie Review  Has Cannes come to this?
Firstly let me say that the DVD picture and sound were fine. But the film was a disappointment for a Cannes winner. One can only suppose the judges were afraid of being branded fuddy-duddy or out of the scene or something. The obsession is barely out-of-the-ordinary; the characters are so overplayed that they might have walked in from silent cinema. The credits annoyingly chop up some decent music every half a minute well into the film. Add some gratuitous porn and a bit of blood (she's a nasty piano teacher really), some lugubriously slow cinematography (they must have had masses of spare celluloid to use up) and...way-hayy, you have a Cannes winner. This one definitely goes on the "exchange" pile. Artsy? Pretentious, in my view. Good if you suffer insomnia.
Having said all that there's some nice piano playing and for once the characters actually seem to be playing. We don't cut from a transported face to a pair of close up hands as usual when stars can't play. Nifty synchronisation if they can't.
Submitted by Ivor C (Sussex England) 
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This review is for a different format.
 Isabelle Huppert nails it.
Isabelle Huppert delivers a most satisfying performance. She alone is enough reason to purchase this DVD. But not the only one.
Submitted by lajr (Spfld., Ill. USA)
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This review is for a different format.
 Startling and outrageous, a tense masterpiece
The film is a about a cold piano teacher of the middle aged spinster variety (Huppert) who harbours sadomasochistic tendancies which are never explored until her relationship with one of her pupils (Magimel).
This tense pschological drama centres around her repressed sexual ideas, cruelty, self mutilation, and control of all things within her narrow life. Her piano students, her mother and her relationships.
As the liaison with Magimel develops her instincts emerge and presage the fall of Magimel to her level. In his descent from decency, he moves from victim to victimiser from abused to abuser.
Thereafter the film explores her realisations. Her creations her monster and her culpability. Upon these she reflects, and perhaps blames the straight jacket of her earlier years training for the repressions that have led to her demise.
The end is climatic and without forgiveness.
Submitted by a reviewer (Croydon, London)
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This review is for a different format.
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Piano Teacher DVD Region 1
Keep Case
Letterbox -
1.85
Additional Release Material:
Trailers
Production Interviews: Isabelle Huppert - Star
Interactive Features:
Scene Access
Interactive Menus
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