Written and directed by Jane Campion of New Zealand, this tale of a woman from Scotland who was contracted into marriage with a N. Z. landowner is a minor film classic. Ms. Campion's films have a plethora of awards and nominations that would be the envy of almost any film-maker world wide.
The movie garnered eight Oscar nominations, three of them winners. Holly Hunter, displaying a face of granite that would have made Buster Keaton proud, won Best Actress for her role as a mute, uncompromising woman. Her piano, her second most prized possession after her daughter, accompanied them on the voyage. Campion herself won for Best Screenplay and eleven year old Anna Paquin from Winnipeg, Canada, playing Ms. Hunter's daughter and sign language interpreter, was the surprise winner for Best Supporting Actress.
With women in strong roles, Campion didn't seem to have a lot left for the men. Harvey Keitel was an illiterate and marginally successful land owner. Sam Neill, more successful, was the catalyst for bringing Hunter's character to N. Z. His matinee idol appearance waning, Neill was still able to jauntily raise his left eyebrow when required.
Piano music dominates the soundtrack with Ms. Hunter the principal soloist. The camera worked overtime in capturing New Zealand's beautiful and challenging environment and Campion, here only the second woman to be nominated for a directing Oscar, has raised the bar for female film directors everywhere.
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