Blog 6: The Piano Teacher

           The Piano Teacher depicts the interesting life of Erika as she puts on the façade of a strict, proper piano teacher in an attempt to mask her inner turmoil. In many scenes she demonstrates the relationship between silence and selfhood.

            One major component of the movie is the relationship between Erika and her dominating mother.  Erika’s mother still controls a large part of her life, despite the fact that Erika is a grown adult who is very capable of living on her own. In a silent scene, Erika shatters some glass and puts it into her student’s pocket. Although I do believe that she partially did it because she was jealous, I also believe that Erika did it to save her student from the pain that she suffers from having an overbearing mother. There is one specific quote where the student’s mom tells the teacher how “we have worked so hard” and Erika corrects her to points out that it was only the student who had worked hard. By destroying the student’s hand, Erika gave her a chance to have a more independent life.

            The scene that best illustrates the relationship between silence and selfhood is the final scene at the recital. After Erika’s mother talks down to her and says that Erika is not good enough because she is just playing at a student’s recital, Erika goes silent. Others move about her and talk. She sees Walter and his family. She hovers by the coats. She waits for the room to clear. Then in a dramatic scene, she looks into the recital room and realizes herself. With a kitchen knife she stabs her shoulder and leaves the building. In that moment she gains the power to find herself and to break away from her dominant mother and unhappy life. In silence and pain, Erika finally pleases herself.