The Piano: Feminism or not?
I can understand why many people would argue that this film is not feminist. I however, would have to disagree. I think that the film is feminist. Just because the main character isn't an outspoken, independent, career driven woman, does not mean that the film isn't feminist. Feminism comes in many different forms and personalities. Also, there needs to be conflicts within a film to make it interesting. For the sake of good filmmaking, there needs to be different points of views within it.
The camera focuses on the naked male. Ada is only naked a little bit in the movie, and when she is the camera does not focus on her body, it just focuses on the scene. Both George Baines and Alistair Stuart are naked on camera. Only when the males are naked the camera gazes at them. It moves up and down their body for long periods of time. It is a sexual gaze. This is the opposite from almost all other Hollywood films where the naked female body is the main object to look at.
Going back to Ada, I think she has a lot of feministic qualities. She sticks up for herself and doesn't let anyone push her around, not even her husband. Which is a good accomplishment guessing that it is some time very well in the past. She is very stubborn and always gets what she wants. Even when the men tell her no. She lets George sexually do things to her in order to get her piano back. Even though she sort of sells her body for her piano, she does not loose her pride. The piano is what she wants, and she is going to get it no matter what. She shows no signs of being ashamed. Thats another good quality Ada possesses. She never feels sorry or ashamed of herself. She stands up for herself. Everyone is frustrated that she can't talk, but Ada does not care. She does not want to talk and so she does not. Also, she is not ashamed of wanting to have an affair with George. I realize that it is very unethical, but that is besides the point. She does not love her husband, but she does love George. So she sees him and has an affair with him. Feminism is about women being able to make their own choices. The marriage of her husband was a forced marriage. She broke free from it.
There was a lot of feminist points in the movie, the biggest most obvious one to me was Ada. She is a very strange person, but I believe that in her own way she exhibits feministic qualities.