The Piano (1993)

The critic highlights the film's acute examination of womanhood, agency, and struggle under patriarchy as what elevates it to greatness. They single out the tender, remarkable drama, Hunter's expressive performance, and Nyman's soaring score for particular praise in this re-release.

This superbly staged tale of passion and obsession is praised for its masterful score by Michael Nyman, splendid photography, and stupendous performances from Hunter and Paquin. The critic highlights themes of communication and repression in the Victorian setting.

The critic finds Campion's film a strikingly unusual and arresting parable of adultery and awakening passion, elevated by Holly Hunter's knockout central performance as the mute mail-order bride. The sumptuous, transcendent tale is praised for its sensual handling of courtship, tactile visuals in muddy New Zealand settings, and unexpectedly uplifting twist.

Campion's Gothic romance stands out for its starkly beautiful style beyond typical costume dramas and its fresh spin on the love story. The critic praises the refusal to sentimentalise the harsh tale of obsession and its honest treatment of erotic passion and physical obsession.

The Piano is a tonic for the tired soul, making a sweepingly romantic 19th-century story seem almost avant-garde through its fearless and profound command of visual and emotional filmmaking. Holly Hunter delivers an unnerving, once-in-a-lifetime performance as the mute Ada in a film that offers a complete, uncompromised way of seeing the world.

The critic is overwhelmed by the film's emotional and physical power, describing it as cinema that fills every sense and demands a visceral response. They praise its virtuoso interpretation of 19th-century literary sensibilities through Campion's exploration of repression, silence, and eroticism.

The critic praises the film's passionate and convincing portrayal of a mute woman's sexual awakening in 19th-century New Zealand from a Victorian perspective, highlighting outstanding performances especially by Holly Hunter and its intense, memorable quality.

The film is clever, watertight, and forbidding yet picks viewers up and moves them with its gusts of feeling and surreal take on Victorian experience. Holly Hunter digs deep into the role of the fierce Scottish mute, and the performers breathe life into a story that outstrips most contemporary cinema.

Campion's 19th-century love story lives up to its advance notices and could be the movie sensation of the year. The film is a severely beautiful, mysterious work that liberates the romantic imagination through its unpredictable yet seamless storytelling and extraordinary performances.

The critic praises the film's distinctive voice and impact, highlighting Holly Hunter's riveting central performance as a mute woman whose silence speaks volumes, and the passionate sex scenes and deft ending that lift the spirits.