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60-437: The Piano is a 1993 historical drama film written and directed by New Zealand filmmaker Jane Campion . It stars Holly Hunter , Harvey Keitel , Sam Neill , and Anna Paquin in her first major acting role. The film focuses on a mute Scottish woman who travels to a remote part of New Zealand with her young daughter after her arranged marriage to a settler. The plot has similarities to Jane Mander 's 1920 novel, The Story of

120-409: A waka taua with unusually high freeboard . A noticeable feature of a loaded waka taua was its very low freeboard of 400–500 mm, which made the vessel unseaworthy in all but good weather, despite the presence of one or two young men on board dedicated to bailing. The normal timber used, totara , is a lightweight native podocarp , which retains its natural oils even when cut down. This prevented

180-527: A Māori canoe . As they row to the ship, Ada asks George to throw the piano overboard. She allows her leg to be caught by the rope attached to the piano and is dragged underwater with it in an attempt to drown herself. As she sinks, she appears to change her mind and struggles free before being pulled to safety. In the epilogue , Ada describes her new life with George and Flora in Nelson, New Zealand , where she gives piano lessons in their new home. George has made her

240-436: A New Zealand River , but also substantial differences. Campion has cited the novels Wuthering Heights and The African Queen as inspirations. An international co-production between New Zealand, Australia, and France, The Piano was a critical and commercial success, grossing US$ 140.2 million worldwide (equivalent to $ 295.7 million in 2023) against its US$ 7 million budget (equivalent to $ 14.8 million in 2023). It

300-473: A New Zealand River . Robert Macklin , an associate editor with The Canberra Times newspaper, has also written about the similarities. The film also serves as a retelling of the fairytale " Bluebeard ", itself depicted as a scene in the Christmas pageant . Campion has cited the novels Wuthering Heights and The African Queen as inspirations. In July 2013, Campion revealed that she originally intended for

360-591: A canoe in New Zealand were found near the Anaweka estuary in a remote part of the Tasman District and radiocarbon-dated to about 1400. The canoe was constructed in New Zealand, but was a sophisticated canoe, compatible with the style of other Polynesian voyaging canoes at that time. Since the 1970s, about eight large double-hulled canoes of about 20 metres have been constructed for oceanic voyaging to other parts of

420-431: A combination, was set about one-third back from the bow. The raupō sail was much lighter. The mast and yard spars were small diameter, with the yard being thinner, about 5 metres (16 ft) high, long, and permanently attached to the sail so the rig was raised as a single unit. Loops were woven into both the luff and the leech of the sail for attachment to the spars. Tanekaha ( celery pine ) branches were favoured, as it

480-442: A crack in the wall. Furious, he confronts Ada and tries to force himself on her despite her strong resistance. He then coerces Ada into promising she will no longer see George. Shortly after, Ada instructs Flora to deliver a package to George, which contains a piano key with a love declaration engraved on it. Flora delivers it to Alisdair instead. Enraged after reading the message, Alisdair cuts off Ada's index finger, depriving her of

540-541: A genre directed towards women. Historical dramas have also been described as a conservative genre, glorifying an imagined past that never existed. Historical drama may include mostly fictionalized narratives based on actual people or historical events, such as the history plays of Shakespeare , Apollo 13 , The Tudors , Braveheart , Chernobyl , Enemy at the Gates , Les Misérables , and Titanic . Works may include references to real-life people or events from

600-429: A main hull formed from a single hollowed-out log, along with a carved upright head and tailboard. The gunwale is raised in some by a continuous plank, which gives increased freeboard and prevents distortion of the main hull components when used in a rough seas. Sometimes the hull is further strengthened, as in the case of Te Winika , a 200-year-old design, by a batten or stringer running lengthwise both inside and outside

660-460: A metal finger to replace the one she lost, and Ada has been practicing and taking speech lessons. She sometimes dreams of the piano resting at the bottom of the ocean with her still tethered to it. The film was originally titled The Piano Lesson , but the filmmakers could not obtain the rights to use the title because of the American play of the same name , and it was changed to The Piano . Casting

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720-516: A sail that Tasman referred to as a Tingang sail —a small triangular sail often temporarily hoisted. Later, early Europeans from the 1830s onwards gave detailed descriptions of the use, appearance and materials used in Māori sails. Although there were regional variations within New Zealand, most sails were temporary and could be hoisted or struck in a few minutes. The roughly triangular sail, usually made from either flax, tī leaves or raupō ( bulrushes ) or

780-429: A stream or river, using multiple ropes made from raupō . Some men pulled the waka forward while others restrained it on downhill slopes. Accidents at this stage were apparently common. Saplings were used as skids and rollers over uneven ground. The final shaping was done closer to the papakainga to be nearer to food. A waka could take a year to make if the construction went smoothly, but it could be abandoned if there

840-426: Is a hollowed and carved vessel used for storing of taonga (treasures) such as the prized tail feathers of the now extinct huia ( Heteralocha acutirostris ) that are worn as ornaments in the hair. In current Māori language usage, waka is used to refer to cars, (along with the transliterated term motokā ), waka-rere-rangi for aircraft and a waka hari hinu is an oil tanker – a waka niho (gear container)

900-561: Is a truth-seeking romance played in the key of erotic passion." On Metacritic , the film has a weighted average score of 89 out of 100, based on 20 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". The film was the highest-grossing New Zealand film of all-time surpassing Footrot Flats: The Dog's Tale (1986) with a gross of $ NZ3.8 million. It grossed over US$ 140 million worldwide, including $ 7 million in Australia, $ 16 million in France, and $ 39 million in

960-454: Is as peculiar and haunting as any film I've seen" and "it is one of those rare movies that is not just about a story, or some characters, but about a whole universe of feeling". Hal Hinson of The Washington Post called it an "evocative, powerful, extraordinarily beautiful film". The Piano was named one of the best films of 1993 by 86 film critics, making it the most acclaimed film of 1993. In his 2013 Movie Guide , Leonard Maltin gave

1020-562: Is identical to that used in the Marquesan Islands. Although there are references to the use of the Society Island–type crescent-shaped sail in New Zealand, these appear to have been rare and no examples exist. From the arrival of James Cook in 1769 and especially Marion Du Fresne's longer stay in New Zealand in 1772, Māori were able to obtain iron and steel, which did not exist in pre-contact Māori culture. Māori quickly learned

1080-532: Is regarded as a key voice in the film, which has a mute lead character. The film was released on VHS on May 25, 1994. Initial fears in leadup to its release were in relation to the films status as "arty" and "non-mainstream," however its nominations and success at the Academy Awards guaranteed it profitability in the home video market. It finished in the top 30 video rentals of 1994 in the United States. It

1140-465: The Bay of Islands . Campion was determined to market the film to appeal to a larger audience than the limited audiences many art films attracted at the time. Simona Benzakein, the publicist for The Piano at Cannes noted: "Jane and I discussed the marketing. She wanted this to be not just an elite film, but a popular film." Reviews for the film were overwhelmingly positive. Roger Ebert wrote: " The Piano

1200-960: The Land Wars : When the Waikato campaign started in 1863, the government forces made a point of sinking all the waka they could find on the Waikato River and its tributaries to slow rebel communication. Later, some fine examples of these were placed in the Auckland War Memorial Museum. Ocean-going waka, whatever their size, could be paddled, but achieved their best speeds when propelled by sail. The Polynesian settlers of New Zealand migrated to New Zealand in large waka; according to legend, some of these were possibly waka hourua , double-hulled vessels. The names and stories associated with those waka were passed on in oral history ( kōrero o mua ), but dates, names, times, and routes were frequently muddled as

1260-537: The Pacific . They are made of a blend of modern and traditional materials, incorporating features from ancient Melanesia , as well as Polynesia . Waka taua (in Māori , waka means "canoe" and taua means "army" or "war party") are large canoes manned by up to 80 paddlers and are up to 40 metres (130 ft) in length. Large waka, such as Ngā Toki Matawhaorua which are usually elaborately carved and decorated, consist of

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1320-498: The Palme d'Or (sharing with Chen Kaige 's Farewell My Concubine ), with Campion becoming the first woman to win the honour, as well as the first filmmaker from New Zealand to achieve this. Holly Hunter also won Best Actress . In 2019, the BBC polled 368 film experts from 84 countries to name the 100 best films by women directors, and The Piano was named the top film, with nearly 10% of

1380-624: The Roaring Twenties , or the recent past. In different eras different subgenres have risen to popularity, such as the westerns and sword and sandal films that dominated North American cinema in the 1950s. The costume drama is often separated as a genre of historical dramas. Early critics defined them as films focusing on romance and relationships in sumptuous surroundings, contrasting them with other historical dramas believed to have more serious themes. Other critics have defended costume dramas, and argued that they are disparaged because they are

1440-403: The toki was tied to the crossmember of the upper framework so that it could pivot back and forth, like a swing. Heavy rocks were tied to each side of the long axis at its lowest point to give momentum. The toki was pulled back and released so that the cutting edge bit into the wood that was weakened by fire. It could take two to three weeks to cut down a large tree in this manner. Once felled,

1500-456: The 1980s and 1990s, using high-tech canoes of Hawaiian or Tahitian design and with the ingenious support of work schemes , has become an increasingly popular sport among Māori, often performed as part of cultural festivals held in summer. Some waka, particularly in the Chatham Islands , were not conventional canoes, but were constructed from raupō ( bulrushes ) or flax stalks. In 2009,

1560-528: The German scientist Johann Reinhold Forster , who sailed with Cook in 1773, described waka fitted with outriggers (ama, amatiatia or korewa)". Already rare in Cook's time, waka ama had largely faded from memory by the early 19th century. However, the term waka ama occurs in old stories, such as the story of Māui published by Grey in 1854 and in a few old waiata ; Tregear also mentions the waka ama as "a possession of

1620-540: The Māori", adding that "It was beneath the outrigger of such a canoe that the famous Maui crushed his wife's brother Irawaru before turning him into a dog. Both the double canoe and the outrigger have entirely disappeared from among the Māoris, and it is doubtful if any native now alive has seen either of them in New Zealand". Two outrigger floats were found in swamps along the Horowhenua coast of Cook Strait , and another float

1680-661: The Okeanos Foundation for the Sea and Salthouse Boatbuilders built a fleet of vaka moana / waka hourua with fibreglass hulls. One of these, the Haunui , was gifted to the Te Toki Voyaging Trust in New Zealand. In April 2011 Te Puni Kokiri, The Māori Development Agency, announced a joint venture with an Auckland tribe to build a PVC plastic pavilion in the shape of a waka as a promotion for local Māori. The "Tupper waka", as it

1740-472: The United States and Canada. The film was nominated for eight Academy Awards (including Best Picture ), winning three for Best Actress (Holly Hunter), Best Supporting Actress (Anna Paquin) and Best Original Screenplay (Jane Campion). At age 11, Anna Paquin became the second youngest competitive Academy Award winner (after Tatum O'Neal in 1973 ). At the Cannes Film Festival , the film won

1800-441: The ability to play the piano. He sends Flora to George with the severed finger, warning him to stay away from Ada or he will chop off more fingers. Later, while touching Ada as she sleeps, Alisdair hears what he thinks is her voice in his head, asking him to let George take her away. He goes to George's house and asks if Ada has ever spoken to him, but George says no. George and Ada leave together with her belongings and piano tied onto

1860-472: The attack on the ship's boat of Abel Tasman in Golden Bay in 1642 when a Māori catamaran rammed a cock boat and four Dutch sailors were killed. During the classic period (about 1500 to 1770) a hapū would select a tōtara tree and prepare it years ahead for felling. Tōtara is a lightweight wood with a high natural oil content that helps prevent rot. This would include the removal of bark from one side of

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1920-490: The critics polled giving it first place on their ballots. The score for the film was written by Michael Nyman , and included the acclaimed piece "The Heart Asks Pleasure First"; additional pieces were "Big My Secret", "The Mood That Passes Through You", "Silver Fingered Fling", "Deep Sleep Playing" and "The Attraction of the Pedalling Ankle". This album is rated in the top 100 soundtrack albums of all time and Nyman's work

1980-871: The descendants of the settlers multiplied and separated into iwi (tribes) and hapū (sub-tribes). Consequently, the word waka is used to denote a confederation of iwi descended from the people of one migratory canoe. In 1992, Hekenukumai Busby built Te Aurere , a waka hourua , using traditional methods and materials. It has since voyaged across the Pacific, to Hawaii , Tahiti , the Marquesas , New Caledonia and Norfolk Island , as well as repeatedly circumnavigating Te Ika-a-Māui using Polynesian navigation methods. Early European explorers saw Māori using waka ama ( outrigger canoes ). " Sydney Parkinson , an artist on Captain James Cook's first voyage to New Zealand in 1769, and

2040-454: The film and special features on the companion Blu-ray. The Piano was released on January 25, 2022. Historical drama Historical drama can be differentiated from historical fiction , which generally present fictional characters and events against a backdrop of historical events. A period piece may be set in a vague or general era such as the Middle Ages , or a specific period such as

2100-548: The film three and half out of four stars, calling the film a "haunting, unpredictable tale of love and sex told from a woman's point of view" and went on to say "writer-director Campion has fashioned a highly original fable, showing the tragedy and triumph erotic passion can bring to one's daily life". On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , the film holds an approval rating of 90% based on 71 reviews, and an average rating of 8.50/10. The website's critical consensus reads: "Powered by Holly Hunter's main performance, The Piano

2160-460: The general public, according to the media briefing. The waka taua Te Tuhono in the National Museum of Scotland was restored and partially reconstructed by the Māori craftsman George Nuku, using carved poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) to recreate missing sections. The word "waka" is also used in broader senses that can be translated as "vessel", "container", or "vehicle". A waka huia

2220-412: The head of the tree and branches were removed, then the hull was roughly shaped in situ , using fire and hand adzes, under the guidance of the chief designer. A stone adze was used by relatively gentle, but regular and repeated blows. The head was soaked in water to make the binding swell and hold the stone blade more firmly. Once the shaping was complete, the log of 3–4 tonnes was pulled by teams of men to

2280-523: The hull just above the loaded waterline. The resurgence of Māori culture has seen an increase in the numbers of waka taua built, generally on behalf of a tribal group, for use on ceremonial occasions. Traditionally the war canoe was highly tapu (sacred). No cooked food was allowed in the craft and the waka had to be entered over the gunwales, not the bow or stern, which were highly decorated with powerful symbols. Canoes were often painted with black or white with black representing death. The main colour

2340-465: The lessons to the black keys only and resists George's demands for more intimacy. Ada continues to rebuff Alisdair's advances while exploring her sensuality with George. George eventually realizes that Ada will never commit to him emotionally and returns the piano to her, confessing that he wants Ada to care for him genuinely. Although Ada has her piano back, she longs for George and returns to him. Alisdair overhears them having sex and watches them through

2400-488: The main character to drown in the sea after going overboard after her piano. Principal photography took place over 12 weeks from February to mid-May 1992. The Piano was filmed in New Zealand’s North Island . The scene where Ada comes ashore and the piano is abandoned was filmed at Karekare Beach , west of Auckland . Bush scenes were filmed near Matakana and Awakino , while underwater scenes were filmed at

2460-650: The making of a Maori canoe - records the 18 month long construction of a waka taua - the Taahere Tikitiki. The waka was commissioned by the Māori Queen, Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu , and constructed at Tūrangawaewae Marae by master carver Piri Poutapu . The film, directed by David Sims , is a visual insight into the building of this cultural taonga. Tasman noted that two of the waka which attacked his ships in Golden Bay in today's Tasman District in December 1642, had

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2520-401: The part. They did a series of open auditions for girls age 9 to 13, focusing on girls who were small enough to be believable as Ada's daughter (as Holly Hunter is relatively short at 157 cm; 5 ft 2 in tall). Anna Paquin ended up winning the role of Flora over 5,000 other girls. Alistair Fox has argued that The Piano was significantly influenced by Jane Mander 's The Story of

2580-625: The piano and sign language, with Flora acting as her interpreter. Ada and Flora, along with their handcrafted piano, are stranded on a New Zealand beach by a ship's crew. The next day, Alisdair arrives with his Māori crew and neighbour George Baines, a retired sailor who's adapted to Maori customs, including facial tattoos . Alisdair tells Ada that they don't have enough bearers for the piano and then refuses to go back for it, claiming that they all need to make sacrifices. Desperate to retrieve her piano, Ada seeks George's help. While at first saying no, he appears to give in due to her keenness on recovering

2640-421: The piano. Once at the beach, he is entranced by her music and appears charmed by her happy ways when she is playing, in contrast to her stern behaviour when in the farm. George offers Alisdair the land he's been coveting in exchange for the piano and Ada's lessons. Alisdair agrees, oblivious to George's attraction to Ada. Ada is enraged by George's proposition but agrees to trade lessons for piano keys. She restricts

2700-814: The relevant time period or contain factually accurate representations of the time period. Works that focus on accurately portraying specific historical events or persons are instead known as docudrama , such as The Report . Where a person's life is central to the story, such a work is known as biographical drama , with notable examples being films such as Alexander , Frida , House of Saddam , Lincoln , Lust for Life , Raging Bull , Stalin , and Oppenheimer . Waka (canoe) Waka ( Māori: [ˈwaka] ) are Māori watercraft, usually canoes ranging in size from small, unornamented canoes ( waka tīwai ) used for fishing and river travel to large, decorated war canoes ( waka taua ) up to 40 metres (130 ft) long. The earliest remains of

2760-459: The role of Ada was a difficult process. Sigourney Weaver was Campion's first choice, but she was not interested. Jennifer Jason Leigh was also considered, but had a conflict with her commitment to Rush (1991). Isabelle Huppert met with Jane Campion and had vintage period-style photographs taken of her as Ada, and later said she regretted not fighting for the role as Hunter did. The casting for Flora occurred after Hunter had been selected for

2820-432: The sail angle led from the top of the yard directly to the sheet handler, although early British sailors were critical of the sheet being tied off. The sail was only used downwind, as the waka lacked a keel or centre-board to prevent leeway, therefore preventing windward sailing. Rarely, two sails of the same size, were used in larger waka. Due to its slim hull the waka could sail at considerable speed down wind. When struck,

2880-481: The sail was wrapped around the two spars and laid along the centre of the waka thwarts, between the paddlers. Sometimes a pattern was woven into the sail, using a different material. The only known example of a traditional waka sail is in the British Museum. Capsizes were not unknown, with the hull being tipped to get rid of water, then bailed out. This type of triangular sail, with straight mast and high angled sprit,

2940-603: The superiority of this material, especially for carving. Māori learnt to ask sailors to sharpen 8-inch-long (20 cm) ships' nails to a chisel point on a ship's wheel in exchange for fish. This period between 1779 and 1820 has been called the golden age of Māori wood carving. Much of the carving was confined to waka taua . During the middle 19th century, from 1835, the arrival of large numbers of European settlers and ships meant that ship's boats were far more commonly available and were increasingly used by Māori in preference to waka. In 1839 100 ships visited The Bay of Islands. This

3000-467: The timber opening up and splitting. Angela Ballara noted that they only put to sea when it was fine. One voyage across the stormy Cook Strait was delayed for a week while the travellers waited for fine weather. The missionary William Williams, son of Henry Williams, noted that the voyage of a waka taua was a leisurely affair due to the requirements of foraging for food and waiting for fine weather. The 1974 National Film Unit documentary - Taahere Tikitiki -

3060-429: The trunk and the clearing of the ground and the planting of food crops for workers. After chants and prayers, the tree would be felled by a combination of fires around the base and chopping with hand adzes . On an especially large tree with aerial roots a stage about 3 m high was built of wood. On this was built a framework on which was suspended a giant upside-down toki (axe), about 2.5 m long. The long axis of

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3120-451: Was 11 years old at the time and remains the second-youngest actor to win an Oscar in a competitive category. In the mid-1800s, Ada McGrath, a Scottish woman with elective mutism , travels to colonial New Zealand with her daughter Flora for an arranged marriage to settler Alisdair Stewart. Ada has not spoken since the age of six, and the reason for this as well as the identity of Flora's father remain unknown. She communicates through playing

3180-452: Was a trend that the missionaries such as Marsden and Williams had noted had begun in the 1830s. The beamier, lighter, ship's boat was a better load carrier with more stability and was sometimes equipped with sails for windward sailing. Use of ship's boats became common, as many Māori worked on a wide variety of sealing, whaling and trading sailing vessels, both in New Zealand and in the Pacific. Few waka were used for movement of warriors during

3240-514: Was an accident or a death of an important person. Such abandoned, uncompleted waka have been found in post-contact times. Most large waka were built in several main interlocking sections and stitched together with flax rope. Small pegs were put into the holes, which swelled and sealed when wet. Tree gum could also seal the holes. A large finished waka weighed about three tonnes and could remain in use for many decades. All large waka had names and were objects of pride and admiration. The image above shows

3300-473: Was called in the media, was a small conference facility for well-off visitors during the world rugby competition held in New Zealand in September 2011. Most of the $ 2 million funding came from the government, but the tribe was contributing $ 100,000 and would retain ownership after the event. The graphic on television showed that it is largely a promotional device with seating, tables and a bar. It will not be open to

3360-437: Was common, as far south as Nelson. It was a straight, strong and flexible wood. An added advantage may have been that the wood bled red tannin, a colour strongly favoured by Māori. The head of the triangle sail was the shortest—about 2 metres (6.6 ft)—and often decorated with tufts of feathers that may have served as wind indicators. The mast was held in place by a forestay, a backstay and two side stays. The sheet to control

3420-533: Was found in Moncks Cave near Christchurch. All three floats were short, suggesting that Māori outriggers were small and used only in sheltered waters. The Māori words for the parts of the outrigger, such as ama and kiato , recorded in the early years of European settlement, suggest that Māori outrigger canoes were similar in form to those known from central Polynesia . Since the 1990s, waka ama racing, introduced from Pacific nations into New Zealand during

3480-593: Was noted for its crossover appeal beyond the arthouse circuit to attracting mainstream popularity, largely due to rave reviews and word of mouth . Hunter and Paquin both received high praise for their performances. In 1993, the film won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival , making Campion the first female director to receive the award. It won three Academy Awards out of eight total nominations in March 1994: Best Actress for Hunter, Best Supporting Actress for Paquin, and Best Original Screenplay for Campion. Paquin

3540-612: Was red which stood for tapu. Sometimes a waka would be placed upright as a marker for a dead chief with the curved bottom of the hull carved. Māori told missionaries during the Musket Wars that battles between waka took place at sea with the aim being to ram an enemy's waka amidships at high speed. The ramming vessel would ride up over the gunwale and either force it under water or cause it to roll over. The enemies were either killed, left to drown or captured to be used in cannibal feasts or as slaves if they were female. This description matches

3600-479: Was released on DVD in 1997 by LIVE Entertainment and on Blu-ray on 31 January 2012 by Lionsgate , but already released in 2010 in Australia. On 11 August 2021, the Criterion Collection announced their first 4K Ultra HD releases, a six-film slate, will include The Piano . Criterion indicated each title would be available in a 4K UHD+Blu-ray combo pack, including a 4K UHD disc of the feature film as well as

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