This is a great film that I love very much. But there is one small (maybe even insignificant) detail that I find puzzling: Initially, Ada stated that George was illiterate. If this were true, then it'd be odd for her to send him the piano key with the inscription. I mean, just sending him the key will be enough, sans the inscription.
I haven't read the book, so all I know is based on the film version of the story. Any thoughts about this anyone?
POTENTIAL SPOILERS!!!
I think it is more of a gesture on her part. If a man starts to speak to you in Italian do you care what he is saying...it sounds good anyway...at least that is the stereotype (of course you care but that doesn't change the fact that someone just spoke to you in Italian!). Not to mention the fact it reinforces the sentiment...just knowing that the key holds a message for him and only him is rather Romantic, much in the manner of courtly lovers who could only love from afar. There is also the possibility that Flora can read it to him, we all know she is literate. Moreover don't overlook the importance of such a blatant plot device. Through the message on the key Stewart (and the audience) learns the depth of Ada's feelings for George which is the catalyst for the...very disturbing scene. Without the message it would just have been a piano key Stewart wouldn't have experienced the rage that drove him to act if he didn't read the message.
I haven't read the book either.
I agree with all your points (except the Italian part. If a man starts speaking Italian to me, I'd care very much what he is speaking. heh heh)
I want to add that from an on-line script of The Piano, I learned that there are more in the original script than what's actually in the movie. There is a scene where George saw the key with several local school children, who read to him the inscribed words. I wonder why the director didn't show this scene...
I don't feel he was really illiteral, even though I don't remember how this was handled in the original novel. But I found it fascinating to think that Ada _could've_ spoken and Baines _could've_ read. But they both refused. And still understood each others. So it wasn't important whether Baines was able to read Ada's message or not, he would've understood it anyway.
Edit: The original screenplay, not a novel. Thanks for correcting, Harryroadrage!
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I really like your idea of "Ada _could've_ spoken and Baines _could've_ read. But they both refused. And still understood each others."
What a unique perspective of seeing the story and clever way of wording it! Yes, human language sometimes is a very limited way of communication; so they both choose to go beyond language :)
Harryroadrage, I have no idea why I assumed it's based on a book...thank you for pointing it out!
It's not based on a book. It's an original screenplay by Jane Campion.
shareActually there is a book which is where the idea for the movie came from, it's written by Micheal Nyman
shareI can't really decide for myself if he is really illiterate and I like it that it's left open to interpretation (and to leave it open is probably the reason why the scene with children reading the note to him was taken out - also, it underlines that he didn't really need her words to understand how she feels). For a moment I thought I cracked it in the scene when Ada begins to play the piano after getting it back from Baines and we see a key that has a pierced heart with two letters depicted on it. The first time I noticed it (the second time I watched the movie) the letters looked like G and A to me, so I thought "Here! He wrote it to let her know! What a twist - she doesn't notice it but later writes her own confession on a key, too". But then I looked again and saw that the letters were A and D so my theory crumbled, but it still gives the story an interesting turn. As there is no man in the film whose name begins with D I think it must have been Flora's father, and it gives a hint at their love story, too.
But going back to Baines, the reason I think things weren't so simple with him is that he brought a man in to tune the piano. I mean, if you can't even read how are you supposed to know pianos can be in or out of tune and there is someone who makes a living tuning them? Ada is really surprised when she hears that the piano is in tune and looks at him as if she can't believe it - she told her husband Baines is an oaf who can't read and here he is with a perfectly tuned piano.
Yes, I saw that A&D part, and took it as a love token between Ada and the piano teacher--Flora's father.
Good point about Baines having the piano tuned... which would make him a cultured savage rather than the illiterate savage Ada had thought he was :)
He is not really illiterate, he tells her that to induce her to leave.
"I can't read, so go away".
He is already in love with her, and he already knows what she wants before she even gives him the slip of paper.
By claiming to be illiterate, he hopes to sever relations between them and compel her to leave, but the effort is futile.
As another person said, she refuses to speak and he refuses to read, but you cannot refuse to feel nor can you refuse to love.
Passion and love are not contingent upon the ability to speak and read.
Huh? What slip of paper? Are we talking about the same issue here?
I was refering to the piano key Ada asked Flora to send to George.
I agree with your second point, about speech and reading. However, the key to the matter is (no pun intended), did Ada know George was *pretending* to be illiterate? Probably not. The film suggests that she thought George was really illiterate. And this would make Ada's inscription on the piano key even less sensible.
Furthermore, his refusal to read and her refusal to speak suggest that they both attempted to transcend the boundry of language--a brilliant stroke. Under this light, Ada's use of words on the piano key makes even less sense. That is, a key WITHOUT the words would work with the plot and the two charactors much better.
Huh? What slip of paper? Are we talking about the same issue here?
The slip of paper Ada writes on and tells Flora to give to George.
George reads it and thrusts it back, pretending that he cannot read.
I was refering to the piano key Ada asked Flora to send to George.
When did I state I was referring to the piano key?
I was specifically referring to your question that you originally asked -
Is George Really Illiterate?
The film suggests that Ada thought George was really literate, which is why she writes him a note on a piano key.
Her inscription is sensible because he can read and was feigning otherwise to prevent communicating with her.
A key with the words works brilliantly because it illustrates that George was unwilling to read and she was unwilling to speak yet their love grew because they communicated through music - their way of communication with each other transcended traditional boundaries (reading/writing).
Hmmm, I'm still on the fence about this too.
There was a scene when he goes to the play and is asked by Aunt Morag (after being razzed by the men about his piano playing) if he would turn the music pages. This is also the same time he sees Ada. So does he ignore Aunt Morag because he can't read to turn them or because he sees Ada and goes over to sit next to her???