Reviews Of The Piano Lesson
Back To Blogs List
The Piano is Malcolm Washington's feature debut, an ambitious adaptation of the moving play of the same name by prolific playwright August Wilson. With a star-studded trio of his brother John David Washington, Samuel L. Jackson, and Daniel Deadwyler, Washington's exploration of inheritance (trauma, wealth, history) is a powerful portrayal of black ancestry in America.
The Charles family has an heirloom, a piano engraved with the faces of their ancestors. The piano was originally stolen from the home of her former slave owner, James Sutter (Jay Peterson), in the hopes of passing it down from generation to generation. A few years later, in 1936, during the Great Depression, Boy Willie (Washington) sets off from Mississippi for Pennsylvania with his friend Lymon (a charming, understated Ray Fisher) to retrieve the piano and sell it to get it on his own land.
Standing in his way is his sister Berniece (Deadwyler), who owns the piano and has sworn to never sell it, but who refuses to tell her young daughter a word about its history, much less play it. As the brothers clash under the roof of their rather ambivalent Uncle Doaker (a wise but notoriously sarcastic Jackson), "The Piano" unfolds. The film attempts to tie the familial conflict between Berniece and Boy Willie into some kind of resolution of what black people should do with their history.
John David Washington is inspiring in this film, full of drive and ambition. His on-screen presence borders on overstimulation, providing a fitting contrast to Berniece's perspective. His long-winded, colorful rants and far-reaching, forceful gestures come across as an orator in his element, charismatic as hell, but ultimately an uncomfortable sermon about Berniece's grounded approach to frustration. Their characters couldn't be more opposite, and even though Berniece is every bit as strong as her brother, Deadwyler's portrayal is equally poignant in its restraint. Deadwyler is tense, rarely taking up more space than her body in a neutral stance. Her sternness signals her repression as well as her righteousness towards Berniece. You can stream this movie on flixtor streaming.
Comments