Alisdair Stewart And George Baines In The Piano

Slide 1- Introduction:

The Piano, directed by Jane Campion, follows the journey of a mute woman, named Ada, and her relationships with Alisdair Stewart and George Baines to emphasise the significance of power between classes during the mid-nineteenth century by contrasting the characters of Alisdair Stewart and George Baines while also establishing the differences between their personalities. In addition, the film uses diegetic sounds and long pauses between dialogue to build atmosphere and influence the audience to feel empathy towards the characters.

The scene that I will be discussing is when Stewart confronts Baines for having an affair with Ada, which incorporates these techniques to cultivate the feeling of empathy among the audience and express the theme of power in The Piano.

Slide 2- Lighting and establishing atmosphere

Lighting is used to develop the characters’ emotions and moods by concentrating the focus of light on certain areas of the scene. During the beginning of the scene, Stewart is seen holding a rifle and the light reveals part of his aggravated expression, helping the audience assume him as the villain. As Stewart walked through the forest, his lantern was the brightest form of light among the darkness of the night, as indicated by the low intensity of the light in the tracking shot. The

Baines’ breathing was explicitly heard from the fear and shock of a rifle held at his head, creating a moment of apprehension to make the audience feel empathy for Baines. The close-up shots of Baines draw attention to his expression and improve the audience’s understanding of his disconcertion. Stewart spoke in this scene, expressed by a close-up shot which articulated his hatred towards Baines and inquiring if Ada had ever talked to Baines. This highlighted Stewart’s insecurity, as he assumed Ada did not speak to him because she despised