FILM ESSAYDISCUSS THE WAYS IN WHICH THE Jane Campion DIRECTOR OF The Piano MANIPULATES AUDIENCE RESPONSE TO CHARACTERS AND TO WHAT EFFECT

In the feature film The Piano, directed by Jane Campion, characterization of Baines and Stewart is shown through effective use of camera angle manipulation, the natural New Zealand landscape and the use of soft and hard lighting. Baines and Stewart are supporting characters of protagonist Ada, and their relationship with her show the audience their personality and their values for people through the situations they encounter with her. The Piano, set in New Zealand, portrays life of early English settlers in the Victorian period. The blend of New Zealand and the English culture, the different environment has shown the audience Ada, Baines and Stewarts contrasting personalities by their adaptation to New Zealand. Through Baines and Stewart, Campion is communicating that bringing the English culture, values and traditions shown through Stewart, does not work. On the other hand, Baines has immersed himself in Maori culture and has shown contentment by working with the natural setting, speaking Maori and interacting with the local Maori people which adapting with the setting will benefit more than changing the setting.

Campion introduces Baines; the man that eventually becomes Adas lover, with the image of rough-hewn demeanor, Maori face tattooed man at first may seem threatening. Campion cleverly manipulates Bainess costume by conveying an image of rugged, simplistic and rough look to evoke the dirty and disrespectful feelings towards Baines. Bainess image is used to portray the hardship of the environment where his adaptability to the environment is welcomed. However, Stewart is dressed in a clean Victorian polished outfit reflects his English values and his inability to let go of his English values to adapt to the environment. His dressing code manipulates the audiences reaction and evokes a comfortable and stable atmosphere because the audience will most likely recognize the English dressing code and it is well accepted. Baines is a contrast with Stewart, Adas husband, with the appearance of an English colonized gentleman. Campion introduces Baines and Stewart as friends and has deliberately shown the contrast of personality through their attitude towards Ada, which the film thematically parallels with their attitudes towards the local Maori and New Zealand. Stewart is a standard colonial in everything he does, while Baines is more understanding, sensitive and adaptable. When they first meet Ada, their different responses mark them out: Stewart says she looks stunted, Baines says that she looks tired. Baines can see Adas passion; Stewart lacks the fancy and imagination to notice. He has a lack of verbal articulateness and instead acts to show his feelings to Ada. Stewarts uncooperative behavior with the local Maori is shown through his inability to adapt to the environment shown through his strict English colonial wear. His awkwardness to relate to New Zealand is reflected in his relationship with Ada, awkward and disconnected. Campion manipulates us to feel this way about Stewart because she wants to show that passion and purposeful acts such as Bainess effort to learn Maori and respect what Maori held as sacred has allowed Baines to be in harmony with New Zealand and Maori community compared to Stewart and his traditional English ways. This therefore has allowed Baines to be comfortable and clearly communicate his desires watch Ada show her passion through her piano and eventually wanting her sexually. In numerous scenes where Baines is naked and dusting and caressing the piano, the piano acts as an extension of Ada, Campion establishes a poetically potent equivalence between the piano keys and Adas fingers. As we begin to differentiate the difference between Stewart and Baines, the audience has begun to appreciate Baines for his relationship with Ada and New Zealand. Campions effective way to manipulate Bainess dialogue and his costume to reflect unity with New Zealand has led the audience to become more comfortable with him as he is comfortable with himself by building strong foundations with Ada and New Zealand.

As the audience watches Baines and Adas relationship grow through Bainess bargain with Ada, for her piano, she must prostitute herself, one visit for every key, the audience see the satisfaction both lovers bring out of each other and their cooperation with each other for their own benefit. He gives the piano back because he doesnt want her demeaning herself. This is shown in Bainess dialogue The arrangement in making you a whore and me wretched. Campion has effectively used lighting to show the security and harmonious interaction these two lovers had with each other in Bainess hut. Ada has found comfort and warmth there, even though it was uncomfortable at first. In their interactions, the piano is always highlighted, Campions purpose for highlighting the piano is to show Adas freedom to show her identity and Bainess acceptance of her identity and this reflects their cooperative relationship. At this stage, the audience will support this relationship because Ada has found an equal relationship that is non-existent in the Victorian era and Campion has effectively challenges societal norms. In Bainess reaction shot to Ada, his face is continuously lit with full-face lighting, which the audience interprets as his openness and honesty. However Campion also plays with dark lighting and shadows when Baines show his authority over Ada when he demands his desires of Ada, when Baines say to Ada undo your dress, he is shadowed by soft dark lighting which shows his authority over Adas vulnerability or lack of power and portrays Baines as villainous. With his full demand for Ada, Ada, Im unhappy, cause I want you. Cause my mind has seized on you and can think of nothing else. This is why Ive suffered, Baines justifies his acts of mistreating Ada as reasons to have Adas presence, he states his want for Ada clearly as he can identify himself with his surroundings and therefore is sure in his character and what he wants. The audience would react with sympathy with Bainess and his heart for Ada because what he is feeling is his true emotions and his desire for Ada is so strong that he is willing to let her go with her piano if that truly makes her happy.

Stewart cannot appreciate Ada and he is plainly colonial in his treatment of both women and lesser colonized people. He has no understanding or wish to learn. He is continually buying land considered sacred by the Maori; he sold his wifes piano for land. What do they do with it? he asks of their land; How do they know its theirs? His interactions with Ada is forceful and is all an act as his responses does not come naturally but forcefully. Campion has manipulated Stewarts actions commendably as the audiences will response negatively with his fake acts and further resent Stewart with his harsh and inappropriate treatment of Ada. Compared to scenes with Ada and Baines, Stewarts face is always in the shadow which suggest Stewart as a villain and creates a moody and uncomfortable atmosphere and this reflects in the his dialogue with Ada, where it reflects his forceful personality we are a family now, we all make sacrifices and so will you. From this the audience can understand that Stewart is not a bad man and provides with Ada and her daughter need however the lack of connection and communication between them means that she cannot make herself give the relationship a real go; thus it is domed from the beginning. The generous space in the background of the frame around Stewart in his house and the space in the foreground filled with bushes and trees in outdoors situations reflects his lack of connection with other people and lack of closeness in his relationship with other characters especially Ada, and reinforces his lack of adaptation with the environment. The rules of civilized behavior, the Victorian colonial pomposity has led to Stewart to where he is, an outsider of Adas world.

In conclusion, Campion has effectively used film techniques of appearances, visual images, dialogue and relationship with the local Maori and Ada to manipulate audiences response to Baines and Stewart. Through their relationship with Ada, the audience can reflect the personalities of both characters and evaluate why Baines and Adas relationship has flourished compared to Ada and Stewarts gone relationship. The differences between Baines and Stewarts character suggest that all is not as it seems on the surface. Bainess rugged and tattooed face suggest that he is not the type of man one would fall in love with but as he listens to Ada and has a deeply caring and sensitive side to him eventually makes us see him differently. Adas decision to develop and sustain her relationship with Baines reinforces the audience positive feelings towards Baines and Baines and Adas relationship together. The Pianos positive ending for Baines emphasizes Campions skillful manipulation for audience response for Baines as a character.