THE PIANO LESSON

Out of all August Wilson play adaptations The Piano Lesson is opened up for a cinematic experience the most but that doesn’t mean the movie’s morals are any less overtly theatrical.

How do you exorcise ghosts from your past without tearing up your family’s legacy? That’s the question The Piano Lesson, at times poignantly, poses as the brother and sister at the heart of the story grapple with the potential sale of an instrument closely linked to their family history, in order to buy and own a piece of land.

The tale hews close to playwright August Wilson’s preferred themes: the role of African Americans in society, the struggle for upward mobility and the burden of slavery, many generations after abolition. The opposing opinions of the central siblings – and by extension, their closest friends and family members – add extra, relatable drama to The Piano Lesson and makes the film accessible to a wider audience.

A showcase for half of the Washington family – father Denzel produces and sons John David and Malcolm respectively act and direct – it’s Malcom Washington who emerges as the MVP. He successfully opens up the original play, makes visually interesting choices and ensures you never get the feeling that you are watching a stage adaptation, even if the setting and the limited amount of characters suggest otherwise.

On the acting front, the entire cast is on its game, without anyone standing out particularly. Danielle Deadwyler has been picking up the most kudos as the only strong female character in the film, but I found she doesn’t quite overcome the clichés associated with the character, while John David Washington does solid work and Samuel L. Jackson still mostly is Samuel L. Jackson, no matter how much he tries to.

While the combination of all the above assets makes for an interesting, if not particularly surprising or revelatory, viewing experience throughout, in The Piano Lesson’s final act the central theme is made explicit far too clumsily theatrical, diluting the emotional core of the film in favour of a moral that would have benefitted from a more ambiguous, subtle approach.

release: 2024

director: Malcolm Washington

starring: John David Washington, Danielle Deadwyler, Samuel L. Jackson, Ray Fisher