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Topic: Films about piano  (Read 2814 times)

Offline mattgreenecomposer

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Films about piano
on: May 19, 2008, 11:50:25 AM
I wanted to start a thread on films about or associated with piano that people would recommend.
I'll start with two of my favorites- "Shine" (Geoffrey Rush) and The Pianist (Adrien Brody).
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Offline thalbergmad

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Re: Films about piano
Reply #1 on: May 19, 2008, 05:17:44 PM
The beast with 5 fingers.

Thal
Curator/Director
Concerto Preservation Society

Offline muz1kraz

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Re: Films about piano
Reply #2 on: May 20, 2008, 06:53:54 AM
I wanted to start a thread on films about or associated with piano that people would recommend.
I'll start with two of my favorites- "Shine" (Geoffrey Rush) and The Pianist (Adrien Brody).

How about that Ray Charles movie that came out a few years back? :)
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Offline gyzzzmo

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Re: Films about piano
Reply #3 on: May 20, 2008, 09:58:59 AM
What, that horrible movie where that woman's fingers get chopped off? :S
1+1=11

Offline camstrings

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Re: Films about piano
Reply #4 on: May 20, 2008, 01:45:15 PM
32 Short films about Glenn Gould

Richter the Enigma

Offline camstrings

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Re: Films about piano
Reply #5 on: May 20, 2008, 01:52:53 PM
The Getting of Wisdom.
An Australian film about a rebellious schoolgirl with a gift for playing piano.

Offline minor9th

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Re: Films about piano
Reply #6 on: May 20, 2008, 03:47:46 PM
"The Competition" with Richard Dreyfus and Amy Irving was good--in a typical Hollywood tradition. I just saw a German movie that was excellent titled "Vitus" --about a kid piano prodigy . The boy actor actually plays the pieces--no fakery!

Offline mattgreenecomposer

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Re: Films about piano
Reply #7 on: May 21, 2008, 02:23:37 AM
I saw Vitus as well....excellent movie.  You can see the kid play on youtube for here during his audition for the part.  Schumann is all through the movies films score so if you like the a minor concerto, you will like the music in this movie.
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Offline minor9th

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Re: Films about piano
Reply #8 on: May 21, 2008, 03:20:48 AM
Yeah, that kid is pretty amazing: He's a gifted pianist, great actor, fluent in at least two languages (German/English), and I believe he's won a few youth competitions, too--geez! I hope he goes far either as a pianist or an actor.

Offline general disarray

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Re: Films about piano
Reply #9 on: May 21, 2008, 08:56:00 PM
"Attack of the Fifty-Foot Arpeggio."

Followed by "The Pianist" with Isabelle Huppert -- the ONLY horror/porn movie about a pianist.  Not to be missed.
" . . . cross the ocean in a silver plane . . . see the jungle when it's wet with rain . . . "

Offline Petter

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Re: Films about piano
Reply #10 on: May 22, 2008, 09:19:31 AM
"Attack of the Fifty-Foot Arpeggio."

I wish this movie was real, sounds like fun
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Offline dnephi

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Re: Films about piano
Reply #11 on: May 22, 2008, 09:24:25 PM
"Attack of the Fifty-Foot Arpeggio."

Followed by "The Pianist" with Isabelle Huppert -- the ONLY horror/porn movie about a pianist.  Not to be missed.
?????
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Offline gyzzzmo

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Re: Films about piano
Reply #12 on: May 22, 2008, 09:42:43 PM
?????

The movie is called 'the piano', not the pianist ;)

horror indeed, dont watch it if you love being a musician.
1+1=11

Offline Petter

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Re: Films about piano
Reply #13 on: May 23, 2008, 12:51:17 PM
I think the english title is  "The piano teacher" if you mean the Jelinek movie
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Offline danny elfboy

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Re: Films about piano
Reply #14 on: May 23, 2008, 02:08:57 PM
You mean "The Piano" with Holly Hunter, Anna Paquin and Sam Neill?

Offline danny elfboy

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Re: Films about piano
Reply #15 on: May 23, 2008, 02:23:45 PM
I don't know if I "recommend" it but this is a cute thing :)

"The 5.000 fingers of Dr. T"
The movie is based on the novel of Dr. Seuss (other movies based on his books are "The Cat in the Hat" "How the Grinch stole the Christmas" "Horton Hears a Who" and "The Butter Battle Book") The movie is about the nightmater of a boy whose piano teacher is agotistical and dictatorial. The teacher has 500 students-prisoners and is creating a huge piano to torture-teach all of them at the same time and has brainwashed the boy mother too.

Offline mattgreenecomposer

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Re: Films about piano
Reply #16 on: May 23, 2008, 02:34:11 PM
To make things even more confusing there is another movie called the Pianist, which won some awards at a Toronto film festival years back.  I have it on DVD but its not very good.  Sisters become lifelong romantic rivals in this drama of first love when the celebrated Japanese pianist Yoshi Takahashi moves in across the street. 

Anyways...I am looking for a Korean movie I ran into a year ago about a piano teacher who was never quite good enough to play professionally and kinda "gave up" and became a teacher.  Years later she gets a child prodigy as one of her students and he does very well and she kind of takes advantage of the situation.  Does any body know this movie and if so could you pass on some info.
 ;D
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Offline danny elfboy

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Re: Films about piano
Reply #17 on: May 23, 2008, 03:23:57 PM
There's also a thriller movie about piano playing called "The Page Turner"

Offline quantum

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Re: Films about piano
Reply #18 on: May 23, 2008, 05:37:29 PM
There is Madame Sousatzka.  Eccentric piano teacher with gifted student. 
Made a Liszt. Need new Handel's for Soler panel & Alkan foil. Will Faure Stein on the way to pick up Mendels' sohn. Josquin get Wolfgangs Schu with Clara. Gone Chopin, I'll be Bach

Offline Petter

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Re: Films about piano
Reply #19 on: May 23, 2008, 06:35:39 PM
There's also a thriller movie about piano playing called "The Page Turner"

I liked that one =). What was the piece called that they preformed with the trio? Think it was Shostakovich
"A gentleman is someone who knows how to play an accordion, but doesn't." - Al Cohn

Offline bench warmer

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Re: Films about piano
Reply #20 on: May 23, 2008, 09:22:50 PM
The movie is called 'the piano', not the pianist ;)

horror indeed, dont watch it if you love being a musician.


There is a movie called "The Pianist".  Here's a link to it, with music and pics.  A true story. The book has been translated into 35 different languages.

All Chopin music.

https://www.szpilman.net/

Offline general disarray

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Re: Films about piano
Reply #21 on: May 23, 2008, 10:48:55 PM
?????

I screwed up here.  The horror/porn movie with Isabelle Huppert (directed by Austrian Michael Haneke) is called "The Piano Teacher" NOT "The Pianist."

If you rent it, you'll never listen to Schubert or Schoenberg in the same way again.  Promise.

p.s.  And there's "Deception" with Bette Davis, where she plays the "Appassionato (sp?)," and "The Great Lie" with Bette again and Mary Astor who plays the Tchaikovsky Concerto.  In all above-mentioned movies, people either get killed, betrayed, raped or pregnant -- but they NEVER stop practicing.  Good family fare, my recommendations. 
" . . . cross the ocean in a silver plane . . . see the jungle when it's wet with rain . . . "

Offline anodibu

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Re: Films about piano
Reply #22 on: May 24, 2008, 10:24:51 PM
I screwed up here.  The horror/porn movie with Isabelle Huppert (directed by Austrian Michael Haneke) is called "The Piano Teacher" NOT "The Pianist."

The original title is "La Pianiste" (the language of the movie is French) but it is neither a horror nor a porn movie. Not a movie for the faint of heart but a good movie nonetheless. The actress really played the piano in the movie by the way.

Offline minor9th

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Re: Films about piano
Reply #23 on: May 24, 2008, 11:18:38 PM
The original title is "La Pianiste" (the language of the movie is French) but it is neither a horror nor a porn movie. Not a movie for the faint of heart but a good movie nonetheless. The actress really played the piano in the movie by the way.

The Piano Teacher is the "horror porn" movie. That's actually a bit of an overstatement. It's certainly quite disturbing, but I wouldn't say it's a porn flick. It's a harrowing tale of obsession/jealousy with some sex here and there. I loved one critic's response: "I'll never think of Schubert in quite the same way again."

Offline general disarray

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Re: Films about piano
Reply #24 on: May 25, 2008, 03:36:16 PM
The Piano Teacher is the "horror porn" movie. That's actually a bit of an overstatement. It's certainly quite disturbing, but I wouldn't say it's a porn flick. It's a harrowing tale of obsession/jealousy with some sex here and there. I loved one critic's response: "I'll never think of Schubert in quite the same way again."

Just exaggerating.  In fact, I love the movie, as disturbing as it is.  But anyone I've ever recommended it to, has been outraged and declared me "sick and depraved" for admiring it.  I've really never seen a better performance than Huppert's and that famous older French actress -- whose name escapes me now -- who plays her mother.  Annie Giraudou, I think.
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Offline minor9th

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Re: Films about piano
Reply #25 on: May 25, 2008, 04:13:37 PM
I agree, the performances are amazing. I received similar comments from friends! One said, "You enjoy seeing people at their worst, don't you?" There may be an element of truth there...

Offline chopininov

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Re: Films about piano
Reply #26 on: May 25, 2008, 04:19:58 PM
Although it's not about piano, but more the life of a composer, Amadeus is an exceptional film. As the eponymous name suggests, it's a fictional recount of Mozart's later life until his death.
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Offline optima

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Re: Films about piano
Reply #27 on: May 25, 2008, 05:21:00 PM
There's also a thriller movie about piano playing called "The Page Turner"

To my personal opinion, both "The Page Turner" (original title in French: "La tourneuse des pages") and The Piano Teacher are disappointing.No offense, but French cinema has an obsession with sex and disturbed minds.After watching The PIano Teacher , I was left with a feeling of pitty (and disgust at the same time)towards the protagonist and her Personality Disorder.. Indeed, this movie was a shock to me  because it is the story of a mentally disturbed woman that is exceptionally good in the one thing I love most-playing the piano!I tend to associate everything that has to do with the piano  with feelings of  love and creativity -this movie just grounded me violently  to reality and to the ugly side of things. So, if you are sensitive and romantic like i am , DONT watch this movie  :-\

Offline Essyne

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Re: Films about piano
Reply #28 on: May 27, 2008, 02:53:44 PM

There is a movie called "The Pianist".  Here's a link to it, with music and pics.  A true story. The book has been translated into 35 different languages.

All Chopin music.

https://www.szpilman.net/

I saw it Saturday. Loved it.
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Offline mattgreenecomposer

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Re: Films about piano
Reply #29 on: May 27, 2008, 07:14:09 PM
Roman Polanski is probably my favorite director... amazing.

The movie I was searching for before is called "For Horowitz."   Has anyone seen this movie?  I was hoping it is good.
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Offline rhapsody4

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Re: Films about piano
Reply #30 on: May 27, 2008, 08:22:06 PM
I seem to remember coming across a Scott Joplin film a few years ago. Can't remember it's name though, and from what I remember, I don't really think anyone is really missing out if they are not familier with it.
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Offline slobone

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Re: Films about piano
Reply #31 on: May 27, 2008, 08:50:28 PM
"Attack of the Fifty-Foot Arpeggio."

Followed by "The Pianist" with Isabelle Huppert -- the ONLY horror/porn movie about a pianist.  Not to be missed.
A truly wretched movie -- I hated every minute of it. Couldn't help noticing, though, that it had a lot in common with The Glass Menagerie -- you've got the Mother, the Daughter, and the Gentleman Caller. Except that this one featured broken glass...

Offline general disarray

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Re: Films about piano
Reply #32 on: May 27, 2008, 09:00:51 PM
A truly wretched movie -- I hated every minute of it. Couldn't help noticing, though, that it had a lot in common with The Glass Menagerie -- you've got the Mother, the Daughter, and the Gentleman Caller. Except that this one featured broken glass...

You're kidding me!  You hated "Attack of the Fifty-Foot Arpeggio"?
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Offline daro

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Re: Films about piano
Reply #33 on: May 28, 2008, 01:46:01 AM
Even after more than 75 years, the all-time piano movie has still got to be Laurel & Hardy's "The Music Box."

yd

Offline slobone

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Re: Films about piano
Reply #34 on: May 28, 2008, 03:24:12 AM
Even after more than 75 years, the all-time piano movie has still got to be Laurel & Hardy's "The Music Box."

yd
Can't argue with that!  ;D

Offline chopininov

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Re: Films about piano
Reply #35 on: May 28, 2008, 03:44:10 AM
Roman Polanski is probably my favorite director... amazing.

Isn't he that child molester?
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Offline indutrial

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Re: Films about piano
Reply #36 on: May 28, 2008, 03:05:22 PM
I'll start with two of my favorites- "Shine" (Geoffrey Rush) and The Pianist (Adrien Brody).

I actually liked The Pianist, though it's probably one of the most unpleasant movies I've ever seen. Shine was very well-made and well-acted as a movie but my appreciation of the Helfgott story stops there. After learning about how exploitative and manipulative Helfgott's quack astrologer wife was in putting that movie together and engineering his publicity campaign, I'm not sure I can enjoy that film again unless I pretend that it's total fiction. It's not about piano, but The Red Violin was a rather interesting flick. It wasn't all that good, but it did keep my interest for a little while. The way music has to be represented to garner the public's interest (intertwining it with mental illness, murder, or genocide) makes it hard to take Hollywood's treatment of classical music all that seriously. I would nominate Mr. Holland's Opus as one of the better ones out there, since it actually frames a lot of truths about music in the public and has a much more down-to-earth quality, despite its numerous syrupy moments.

Offline slobone

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Re: Films about piano
Reply #37 on: May 28, 2008, 03:36:09 PM
If we're expanding to other instruments, don't miss Un Coeur en Hiver. It's about a guy who repairs violins, but it's a terrific movie and has a real feeling for classical music.

Offline minor9th

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Re: Films about piano
Reply #38 on: May 29, 2008, 02:54:07 AM
Isn't he that child molester?

Yes, although the girl (12 or 13 at the time) claimed it was consensual, not that that's any better.

Offline krenske

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Re: Films about piano
Reply #39 on: May 29, 2008, 11:28:44 AM
there's a movie about a gangster-type, drives a convertible, always carries a stereo on his shoulder, and plays decent piano. from memory, it's probably from the 70's or early 80's. anyone got an idea?
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Offline communist

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Re: Films about piano
Reply #40 on: June 05, 2008, 08:41:08 PM
theres a movie about Mozart titled Amadeus it was interesting.
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Offline Petter

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Re: Films about piano
Reply #41 on: June 05, 2008, 10:31:45 PM
there's a movie about a gangster-type, drives a convertible, always carries a stereo on his shoulder, and plays decent piano. from memory, it's probably from the 70's or early 80's. anyone got an idea?

Maybe this

Recent french remake
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Offline minor9th

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Re: Films about piano
Reply #42 on: June 06, 2008, 03:18:28 AM
Maybe this

Recent french remake

The Beat That My Heart Skipped is excellent.
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