MovieChat Forums > The Piano (1994) Discussion > I got 'Piano' ending wrong: Campion

I got 'Piano' ending wrong: Campion

posted 11 years ago by StormyTeacup
11 replies | jump to latest

http://www.odt.co.nz/entertainment/film/264395/i-got-piano-ending-wron g-campion

Holly Hunter's character should have died at the end of The Piano, director Jane Campion has revealed.
In an interview with Britain's Radio Times, the New Zealand Oscar-winning writer and director of the 1993 film says she didn't have the nerve at the time to allow Hunter's mute character, Ada McGrath, to drown.

At the end of the film, which made US$40 million at the box office, Ada allows herself to be dragged underwater by a rope tied to her piano. But she changes her mind and fights her way back to the surface, before appearing to go on to live a happier life.

Campion, who won an Academy Award for best original screenplay for the film, said if she was to film it again she would allow the character to drown.

"I thought some of it was really good. But I thought: "For freaking hell's sake, she should have stayed under there.

[–] cythna 11 years ago

Well, I'm glad she didn't do that! I love this film, but that ending would have been too bleak. I like the ambiguity of the end, with Ada both married to Baines and under the sea with her piano. The film has many echoes of the French Lieutenant's Woman, which also has a double ending.

[–] AgPie 10 years ago

I'm glad she made the movie the way she did. I know that a happily ever after is considered cliche but I think that a sad and suicidal ending would have been equally typical.

Happy birthday to the ground!

[–] 10 years ago

[deleted]

[–] tigerbos 10 years ago

I thought this admission was odd because FOR YEARS Campion has claimed that she didn't want a pessimistic ending and that she wanted her leading ladies to be survivors. I like the ending. Maybe the other ending would have been realistic but after all the darkness of the film, I thought it was great to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

I'll tell you in another life when we are both cats.

[–] ahrawrah 10 years ago

I do like her original idea. Would've been very memorable.... I'm not sure if I care that much about the actual happy ending. At the very least, it's not TOO saccharine.

[–] BarelyHere 10 years ago

That's interesting. I haven't seen the movie in years and I always remembered it as her having drowned. I think it's depressing that she didn't.

Censorship is advertising paid by the government.

[–] Royalcourtier 9 years ago

The ending of the movie is absurd. It suggests that misguided affairs can result in happiness. Baine was a labourer and illiterate. Ada was a penniless pianist - who incidentally could never teach as she was unable - or unwilling - to speak. They would never have ended up in a nice house. They would have been living in a hovel in real life.

The movie does not need to be re-filmed, just edit out most of the film after she goes into the water. There is already a segment showing Ada's corpse floating above the piano.

[–] tigerbos 9 years ago

Untrue. Baine was a landowner and obviously had money. Also, Ada was practicing talking at the end of the film. Nothing needs to be edited because the film was fine as it was. Campion changed through the years and now wishes she'd gone for a darker ending.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-09OhQPiIg#t=85

[–] DodgersRule 8 years ago

I appreciated it.
Despite all the horror and hardship -- she found her happiness.

[–] saucepan (32) 4 years ago

I agree with the original post. Just when I thought to myself, "What a great end for this movie!" she changes her mind and comes up out of the water (etc.). A generic ending.

[–] snepts (11123) 4 years ago

If a death scene were filmed properly it might have been very moving. Some way to make it beautiful rather than tragic.
I saw it once in the theater when it was new, so I'm not too confident about making comments, but I can see doing something innovative rather than expected.