The Piano Teacher

Garth Greenwell’s essay argues that The Piano Teacher is a devastating study of desire, repression, and self-misrecognition. Though the film is brutal, he emphasizes its delicacy, especially in a brief ice-rink scene that becomes a miniature version of the whole movie. The skaters represent grace, intimacy, and artistic discipline; the hockey players interrupt with masculine aggression; Walter briefly restores ease and charm. Erika watches from behind barriers, moved almost to happiness. For Greenwell, that tiny, easily missed moment reveals Erika’s isolation, Walter’s innocence, and the tragedy of desire beginning before it can be understood.