The Piano

Jane Campion’s film was first called The Piano Lesson; the rights were blocked by the American play of that name, so the title was shortened. Sigourney Weaver, first choice for Ada, was not interested; Isabelle Huppert met Campion and was photographed in period dress, later saying she regretted not fighting for the part as Holly Hunter did. Flora was cast only after Hunter: open auditions were held for girls of 9 to 13 small enough to read as Ada’s daughter, and Anna Paquin came through a field of 5,000. Hunter did not take her sign language off the shelf. With Darlene Allen Wittman of Pierce College she blended American, British, Russian and Plains Indian signs with new ones into a language built for Ada, and practised piano to play Michael Nyman’s pieces herself. At Cannes the Palme d’Or was shared with Chen Kaige’s Farewell My Concubine, and Hunter took best actress the same night. Eight Oscar nominations produced three wins: Hunter for actress, the eleven year old Paquin for supporting actress, Campion for original screenplay. A good fit if you want to see how calculated the detail is, down to Ada allowing only the black keys in lessons. Not for viewers hoping for the ending Campion first had in mind, in which Ada drowns in the sea after the piano.