Has anyone seen the movie "The Piano Teacher"?

[activesense]

It is a foriegn "art house" film that centers on a female piano teacher with a s/m fetish. I have not seen it but read a review in our local weekly about it. It got good reviews but said the sadism was "shocking".

I am curious if any of you have seen it and have any thoughts on authenticity. I was going to take a friend but I wanted to be able to discuss how it protrays things with some input from folks who know more than I do - like yourselves.

I'm sorry I don't have more to offer at this point.

Thanks,

activesense

 

[activesense]

Here is the link to the review

They just put it up on the web - read it if interested to know more..

http://indyweek.com/durham/current/movie.html

peace,

activesense

 

[willfulbrat]

I saw it, and liked it. The sadism wasn't really BDSM type in my opinion. But then again, I saw it long before I was in the lifestyle.

 

[activesense]

Bratcat,

Thanks for the reply. I know the whole world of BDSM is huge and no experience captures what folks are doing. I figured that it wasn't really relevant to what folks here are talking about or what I myself am interested in but I think I will check out the movie as well. I just wanted to be prepared to answer questions.

Thanks,

activesense

 

[Andreina]

i saw "The Piano Teacher" yesterday on TV and I was really surprised by it. Usually, I don't think much about mainstream movies that deal with the issues of BDSM, voyeurism and such, but this movie was, in my humble opinion, great.

It is an Austrian-French co-production, that won a acclaimed prizes when it was shown at the Cannes Film Festival. The book, on which the movie is based is by an Austrian author called Elfriede Jelinek. I haven't read the book yet, but you can be bloody sure that I will soon.

The movie is about a late 30ies piano teacher, Erika, who still lives with her tyrannic mother in Vienna. Erika can only get off by watching people shagging, she mutilates herself in an attempt to gain sexual satisfaction.
When the piano student Walter (handsome young hunk) falls in love with her she admits to him what she really wants... rough SM - she wants to be his playtoy.
See for yourself what happens then.

I liked it, it is controversial, very controversial.
Maybe you can rent it from your video store in the international section.

 

[Pure]

Active, that link doesn't work for 'the piano teacher'.
j

 

[Pure]

try amazon link for dvd and reviews

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00006LPER/104-3829025-3496740?vi=glance

 

[Pure]

Hey I gotta copy of Piano Teacher. One of the 'repertory' 'film buff' type video stores had it in videotape and dvd.

Isabelle Huppert stars.

Anyone else seen it besides the two folks above?

J.

 

[s'lara]

i saw the movie last night Pure. i was actually able to get it from Blockbuster which surprised the heck out of me. But then again, they also stock The Secretary.

i enjoyed the movie in a horrified way simply because the repression of the main character was very real. What a spiral she took and without putting in any spoilers, the ending made me feel torn.

What did you think Pure? And others?

lara

 

[Pure]

I hope to get to it tonight or tomorrow night. That's the drawback of the one week rental.

J.

 

[Pure]

Hi All,
Yes, I saw it, and like a lot of it. It's very slow in parts, focussing on her face while she listens to music.

As to the SM, I think it's pretty real. Not exactly a game.

That's a very striking scene where she's masturbating him and making him stand still and look at her. Then she stops before he cums.

He's pretty freaked out with her letter, and it's pretty heavy indeed.

In a way it adds to the sadism she seeks: he doesn't like what he's into so he gets mean. Whaps her in the face (as asked).

She's of course pretty self destructive and self torturing.

I'd say it's very good, almost excellent, but not for those who like lite games and safe words.

By the way, the movie illustrates the central problem of 'consensual' and pre agreed 'domination.'

She tells him, very authoritatively "This is what you are to do to me" in a long many page letter.

He actually objects, "Can't we do some of what I want." Like fuck.
(She allows it but first throws up; then doesn't enjoy it.)
OTOH if she's such a sub, why not enjoy that?

She answers "My way or the highway" essentially. So who's dominating who? Indeed her sadism is evident throughout; she savagely deals with a piano student she doesn't like.

She's a very toppy bottom, imo. Indeed, maybe the best description is (she's 75%) masochistic top: hurt me this way, I order you.

She's 25% sadistic top, and she's quite able to 'dominate' the guy and his erection; humiliate him.

What do others say?

J.

PS It's not exactly clear how the woman got that way, but she sleeps next to Mommy Dear, and they have an almost incestuous and definitely SM relationship.

 

[s'lara]

Just saw this

Sorry ... i was away for a week.

She was single-minded in her purpose to have him dominate her. It was a little disturbing to see her actually get what she wanted from her male student, in the worst way possible ... without her express consent and when she obviously changed her mind after the first hit across the face. That awful realization of "oh god, it's too late. please don't" was all too evident during that scene and was pretty unsettling. Why? For me it had gone beyond that SSC credo we talk about constantly.

She was aware of her desires, but had them realized brutally and before she could assimilate what was happening. Me? i did not understand how she could mutilate the female students hand out of spite, but could not stick that little maniac who used her.

Was the movie a lesson ... a fable of sorts? Be careful what you wish for or you just may get it? Or was it a message about having "aberrant" desires and the consequences of seeking them out? This could have easily been a movie shown as a deterrent to women who were considering the sub/slave/bottome lifestyle.

lara

 

[Pure]

Hi S'lara,

Been away also.

you said,


It was a little disturbing to see her actually get what she wanted from her male student, in the worst way possible ... without her express consent and when she obviously changed her mind after the first hit across the face. That awful realization of "oh god, it's too late. please don't" was all too evident during that scene and was pretty unsettling. Why? For me it had gone beyond that SSC credo we talk about constantly.

iirc correctly, the guy stopped the hitting; i don't see a violation of 'consensual' though she might be said to be a bit 'cracked' though not psychotic.




She was aware of her desires, but had them realized brutally and before she could assimilate what was happening. Me? i did not understand how she could mutilate the female students hand out of spite, but could not stick that little maniac who used her.

I'm not sure who you mean. the female student was shown as generally a pain in the ass, with an interfering mothing, and not very talented. Not that I believe such people should be cut up physically, but I can see why the SM lady might have hated her.



Was the movie a lesson ... a fable of sorts? Be careful what you wish for or you just may get it? Or was it a message about having "aberrant" desires and the consequences of seeking them out? This could have easily been a movie shown as a deterrent to women who were considering the sub/slave/bottome lifestyle.

That's an interesting point. One raised in connection with that other SM movie with the happy ending (about the cutter who found true love with her boss)--'secretary.'

I find the European movies less moralistic, though not perfectly so.

The main question, sometime debated here (usually by loonies like LM) is whether SM desires and various ways of fulfilling them are 'sick.' Indeed Killer Muffin's essay--well known and well regarded-- 'explaining' SM, labels masochistic practice as deviant and abnormal.

http://www.literotica.com/stories/showstory.php?id=32520

[second last para]

Question: How 'sick' is this lady piano teacher?

What say you, Killer Muffin?

J.

 

[s'lara]

Hi S'lara,

Been away also.

you said,


It was a little disturbing to see her actually get what she wanted from her male student, in the worst way possible ... without her express consent and when she obviously changed her mind after the first hit across the face. That awful realization of "oh god, it's too late. please don't" was all too evident during that scene and was pretty unsettling. Why? For me it had gone beyond that SSC credo we talk about constantly.

iirc correctly, the guy stopped the hitting; i don't see a violation of 'consensual' though she might be said to be a bit 'cracked' though not psychotic.




She was aware of her desires, but had them realized brutally and before she could assimilate what was happening. Me? i did not understand how she could mutilate the female students hand out of spite, but could not stick that little maniac who used her.

I'm not sure who you mean. the female student was shown as generally a pain in the ass, with an interfering mothing, and not very talented. Not that I believe such people should be cut up physically, but I can see why the SM lady might have hated her.



Was the movie a lesson ... a fable of sorts? Be careful what you wish for or you just may get it? Or was it a message about having "aberrant" desires and the consequences of seeking them out? This could have easily been a movie shown as a deterrent to women who were considering the sub/slave/bottome lifestyle.

That's an interesting point. One raised in connection with that other SM movie with the happy ending (about the cutter who found true love with her boss)--'secretary.'

I find the European movies less moralistic, though not perfectly so.

The main question, sometime debated here (usually by loonies like LM) is whether SM desires and various ways of fulfilling them are 'sick.' Indeed Killer Muffin's essay--well known and well regarded-- 'explaining' SM, labels masochistic practice as deviant and abnormal.

http://www.literotica.com/stories/showstory.php?id=32520

[second last para]

Question: How 'sick' is this lady piano teacher?

What say you, Killer Muffin?

J.

Hi Pure,

i didn't think she was psychotic, just coldly determined to have what she wanted. That doesn't make it wrong ... just breathless to watch. i am submissive so it is tough for me to walk in her shoes and take the leap she did. Particularly her woman-handling of him in their initial sexual encounter.

What i was saying about the female student was this - that annoying little girl could move her to mutilate her hand, but she couldn't go through with stabbing (sticking if you live in my part of the world) the male student who 'took' her. i am just wondering what held her off. Was it the note she gave him, lack of will, having an audience there to witness the sticking? Not sure. i just didn't understand why not. Also, he did stop the hitting, but what about her express request for him to please stop everything else? If it wasn't beyond consensual, why did she show up with a knife later?

The lady piano teacher was not sick by my definition. i identified with her repressed feelings. The oppression of daily existence when you have this 'thing' growing inside and no way to identify it or relieve it. What hit home was her sitting in that booth at the porn shop and sniffing the used, cum stained tissues of strangers in order to get a whiff (so sorry, that wasn't meant to be punnish or funny) of what she desperately wanted. That might be considered sick by some, but i liken it to someone on a radical diet who unconsciously wanders by a bakery so they can inhale the smell ... or a past smoker who sits with and around those who smoke in order to get their own 'hit.'

Thanks for KM's article. i thought it interesting and would like to hear her comments as well provided she saw the movie.

lara

 

[Pure]

Ya know, I don't remember the knife/stabbing stuff; maybe I was out of the room.

I think destroying another and destroying oneself are related impulses. And one way to destroy onself is to have the other do it.

SM impulses are not much discussed in these parts, in particular this 'determined' masochist as you describe her.

J.

 

[evesdream]

I remember the knife stabbing- near the end right? She cut herself with it. Funny, I hadn't interpreted her bringing the knife with the intent to use it on anyone but herself, but maybe it makes more sense that she would have brought it for him.

I didn't interpret her stabbing herself as self-destructive- not in a suicidal sense. It seemed like self-expression in the face of her own powerlessness over him and his rejection of her.
I saw her sado-masochism in the same light (expressive of intense feelings). All I have to say. It was a very sad movie.

 

[s'lara]

Correct eve. She stabbed herself.

i perceived it as her going there to stick him. Maybe i am projecting ... i would have at least flashed the knife, kicked him in the shin and ran. About as aggressive as i will get.

The self stabbing perception i agree with ... the frustrated "i hate me for not doing it" look was kind of clear. Or maybe it was just the "i wasn't good enough so let me ruin the rest." Not sure.

Sad all in all.

lara

 

[Pure]

ED:

//Funny, I hadn't interpreted her bringing the knife with the intent to use it on anyone but herself, but maybe it makes more sense that she would have brought it for him.//

This does ring a bell. I didn't see the knife as meant for anyone else. I don't see any motivation to stab the main guy or any other. (I don't see why a masochist would object to someone carrying out her orders or punish him for doing them. Her 'change of mind' would likely be seen by her as a failure of nerve; hence not rendering him liable for any confusion.

J.