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The Piano
The Piano Image
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Metascore
89 out of 100

Universal acclaim - based on 20 Critics What's this?

User Score
7.5 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 49 Ratings

Your Score
10 out of 10
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  • Starring: Harvey Keitel, Holly Hunter, Sam Neill
  • Summary: A seemingly mute woman (Hunter) is sent to New Zealand together with her daughter and her beloved piano, for an arranged marriage.

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 19 out of 20
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 20
  3. Negative: 1 out of 20
  1. Chicago Sun-Times
    Reviewed by: Roger Ebert
    100
    It is one of those rare movies that is not just about a story, or some characters, but about a whole universe of feeling.
  2. Chicago Tribune
    Reviewed by: Michael Wilmington
    100
    In Jan Campion's The Piano, the emotions are deep, fierce, primordial. Sexuality overwhelms the film's characters like ocean waves blasting against a cliffside. [19 Nov 1993]
    All this critic's reviews
  3. The New Republic
    Reviewed by: Stanley Kauffmann
    10
    An overwrought, hollowly symbolic glob of glutinous nonsense... I haven't seen a sillier film about a woman and a piano since John Huston's "The Unforgiven" (1960), a Western in which Lillian Gish had her piano carried out into the front yard so she could play Mozart to pacify attacking Indians. [13 Dec 1993]
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See all 20 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 20 out of 29
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 29
  3. Negative: 7 out of 29
  1. krogar
    10
    Beautiful, moving, original, visually poignant, excellent music, fantastic acting performances. One of my favourite movies. I am puzzled by the negative reviews, perhaps it might not suit someone with very conservative tastes, expecting a tame story of a piano student, etc.… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  2. sohyunw.
    4
    If you play piano, put this one on the bottom of your list to watch. However, it is nice to watch on a rainy day, but don't go out of your way. Some parts were quite cheezy and I didn't like the weird, erotic scenes. I would rather see Amadeus for the 43rd time or watch my sisters play piano gracefully without words. Acting by Anna is superb. The rest of the cast... too boring and familiar.… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  3. DrRhythm
    1
    Possibly the worst film I have ever seen and certainly the closest I have ever come to walking out of a cinema. It's appalling junk that has attracted an extraordinary amount of what I call "Emperor's New Clothes" reviewing. Given it a 1 because it's well shot but otherwise it gets a fat zero - horrible!… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes

See all 29 User Reviews

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