Posted: September 13th, 2017

Kathleen McHugh claims that 'The Piano's' cinematography distorts, limits or confuses our perspective on the action’. Consider McHugh's argument in regard to her own readings of particular shots or scenes and some different examples of your own. Is this confusion alleviated or intensified by the film's narrative and its use of music? How?

Kathleen McHugh claims that ‘The Piano’s’ cinematography distorts, limits or confuses our perspective on the action’. Consider McHugh’s argument in regard to her own readings of particular shots or scenes and some different examples of your own. Is this confusion alleviated or intensified by the film’s narrative and its use of music? How?

Introduction
•    Introduce film, avoiding description about the topic – released in 1993, directed by Jane Campion. Starred Holly Hunter as Ada McGrath (a mute), Anna Paquin as her daughter Flora, Harvey Keitel as George Baines and Sam Neill as Alisdair Stewart.
•    Define the key term “action” in the context of the movie – not typical cinematic action but rather refers to narrative action: “…a narrative action is a series of elements held in a relation of transformation such that their consecution… determines a state S’ different to an initial state S” (Heath, 1981, p 136)
•    Campion’s cinematography is vital in establishing central themes and concerns but McHugh’s quote suggests that it is designed to impede independent thought. The essay will explore this idea.
•    Thesis – Examples within the movie reinforce McHugh’s observation, limiting the extent to which the audience can interpret events and distorting conventions. There are notable exceptions but for all intents and purposes the narrative and use of music contribute to this effect, intensifying rather than alleviating it.
Narrative Structure
•    Use of Ada as a narrator deliberately distorts the audience’s perspective. Her perspective is subjective and not omniscient so she guides the spectator – limiting, prevents development of independent point of view. Exercises significant control over the narrative. McHugh (2007, p. 79) uses the opening scene as an example: “These two opening shots establish our identification with narrator/protagonist Ada by way of provocative enigmas in the image (an inscrutable then tactile point of view shot) and sound (if what we are hearing is not spoken but imagined, we are inside Ada’s head, being addressed both inter- and intrasubjectively)” (McHugh, 2007, p. 79). The way the audience sees the scene is completely dictated by her and therefore they adopt her perspective.
•    Representation is a key issue in the narrative structure. The use of the Bluebeard motif is important in conveying the difference between representation and reality (Modleski,1998 , p. 32). Parallel between the rehearsal of Bluebeard when the minister mimics the mutilation of the wife versus Stewart’s mutilation of Ada. However, the mutilation has a figurative significance too in that it represents the socio-symbolic order (Modleski,1998 , pp. 32-33). This limits the context of the action deliberately.
Music and Sound
•    McHugh (2007,p. 86) refers to the music in the movie as “subjective and restricted”, being used as a tool to convey the emotions of the protagonists. She gives the examples of the scene in which Ada looks at her piano from a cliff and it is situated below her. Similarly, it constitutes the imagined emotional outpouring from Baines after she has left and he is staring at the piano longingly. Both instances feature piano music but not from the piano in them. McHugh (2007, p. 86) points to an ambiguous significance: “Are we hearing, sharing Ada’s imagination, Baines’ memory or the film’s voice, it’s emotional prompt to its spectators?” This question underscores several possibilities for interpretation and yet the images are tightly controlled to ensure that the audience only sees the scene from the protagonist in it’s perspective. Again, it is subjective and this confuses the audience and the narrative itself. Changes the narrative space (Bordwell & Thompson, 1993, p. 310).
•    McHugh (2007, p. 50) also observes that “Campion frequently constructs her soundtracks from compelling songs that do not accompany the visuals to which they are applied so much as comment ironically on them.” Evident in the scene where Flora takes the piano key to Stewart instead of Baines – she sings the nursery rhyme “Grand Old Duke of York”. Distinct irony in the juxtaposition of a child’s rhyme and the violence of the mutilation of Ada. Example of confusion.
•    Example that challenges the idea that the cinematography distorts the perspective on the action. In the scene that Ada is mutilated by Stewart, music enhances the audience’s perspective. The camera follows the action, Stewart violently pulling Ada around and the quick movement is confusing but it mirrors the violence. The music enhances this effect by acting like Ada’s voice, betraying her emotion and reaching a crescendo as he takes her finger, slowing down in the immediate aftermath. In this instance, the music alleviates the distortion. Indicative of unselfconsciousness in the behaviour of both protagonists (Walker, 2015, p. 230)
Colour and Lighting
•    Gothic traits employed in the movie to enhance the narrative possibilities. Dark tint to the camera, dark costumes. Also indicative of colonisation and the idea of ownership (Modleski, 1998, p. 35) as lighting and colour changes in line with individual scenes. Darkness in the scene in which Flora takes the engraved piano key to Stewart, contrasted with her white angel wings, and lighter when Ada embarks upon a consensual relationship with Baines after he admits his sickness with longing for her.
•    The beach scene lends the landscape a mysteriousness and unpredictability because of the piano music that is played over the narrative, initially by Ada and then by an unknown musician.  This confuses the perspective of the action because the lighting changes three times during the course of the individual scene.

Point of View
•    Pink veil is also symbolic of effective use of colour but limits the action as it distorts the openness of the narrative by imposing boundaries that encourage the establishment of a dual point of view. Unlike in the narrated sections, the presence of the veil allows for switching between viewpoints (Hardy, 200, p. 81). Mirrored in scene by dark half and light half of the room. The lighting alleviates the confusion to a degree but the rapid shift from one to the next is confusing and limits the interpretation.

Costumes
•    The use of costume challenges McHugh’s assertion. Anderson (2006, p. 201) argues that “…dress is a gesture of display, a separating off and a segregating of particulars designed to make visible that which is otherwise hidden.” Bruzzi (1993, p. 240) concurs, arguing that Ada is able to use Victorian dress to conform to and transgress patriarchal values. Subtle changes throughout movie – white collars, bonnets and muff/gloves for hands. Tighter bodice, looser hair towards the end. Subtle changes but important.
Editing, Camera Work and Framing
•    Camera lends Ada “…the power of the gaze, making the men into objects for her visual control.” (Hardy, 2000, p. 81). Subverts traditional patriarchal representation and resists the power structures inherent within gender relations. Close up of Baines when naked and walking around the piano objectifies him and communicates his raw sexuality to the audience. Limits the audience’s perspective in literal terms as only presents ideas from Ada’s point of view but broadens it exponentially as cinematography introduces new ideas and feminist perspectives into cinema.
•    DuPuis (2000, p. 369) disagrees, arguing that the camera work emphasises the power of the eroticism associated with the “coerced sex” that appears in the movie. – gives the example of the shot in which Baines touches her for the first time because the close up of her neck emphasises her sexuality and privileges his “masculine imagination” (DuPuis, 2000, pp. 369-370). Repeated shots of her back lend Baines’s perspective authority, letting the audience know how he sees her. This disrupts Ada’s authority over the narrative and lends credibility to McHugh’s statement. Slow motion when they pull her into the boat – figurative and symbolic: “What a death! What a chance! What a surprise! My will has chosen life. Still it has had me spooked and many others besides.” This limits the narrative, taking the decision to live out of Ada’s hands and exploring the realm of the supernatural, which is not explained sufficiently for the audience to understand.
•    Editing in final scene when Ada goes overboard with the piano. Symbolic struggle against her past in order to move forward. Cutting from the piano to her face, legs, and then rescue. Conscious narrative strategy (Featherstone, 2005, p. 124)
•    Framing of fingers and hands – theme of sexual desire and sexual identity (Fox, 2011, p. 218). Extreme close up of Baines’s finger finding a hole in Ada’s stocking. Ada hiding behind her fingers, peeping between them, half hiding her face. Do not convey overt messages but enhance thematic narrative. Broad rather than limiting but dependent on audience interpretation as no real guidance as to how to perceive these elements.

Conclusion
•    The analysis proves the thesis that McHugh’s observation is correct. The narrative structure is directed by Ada and the audience is forced to adopt that perspective as their own via the narrator’s authority.
•    Camera work does encourage the audience to switch their perspective in line with the subject of the scene and the music reinforces this, representing emotions and conveying them to the audience when necessary. These technique heights the confusion brought about by the cinematography as a whole.
•    There are some examples within the movie that alleviate confusion, such as the use of costume to signify Ada’s relative empowerment. They are relatively minor elements that cannot do so alone though. As such, the narrative structure and music of the film intensify confusion instead of mitigating it.