Piano teacher - behind the morbid psychology is just family, desire, love, hurt

Florence 2022-03-26 09:01:07

Character:
Piano Teacher: Erika Kohut
Male Student: walker klemmer


The first time I saw this movie was in 2009, I was attracted by this movie, it has become one of my favorite movies, and I can't let it go for a long time , I have been wondering what is the reason for Erika's pathological behavior...

1. Mother
Erika is a piano teacher in her 40s. She has no family and no lover. She is just a mother with a strong desire for control. You can see from the clips of the movie The mother is completely Erika-centered, decides what clothes to wear for Erika, criticizes the clothes that her daughter buys, and ripped her daughter's clothes. They sleep on the same bed at night, and they have to be by their side when attending concerts. Looking at her daughter and observing her contact with people, Erika went out to play the piano by herself, and called every few minutes to confirm the situation, because Erika was furious and even started fighting after returning home late. The mother really cares about Erika's life, but Erika Already a 40-year-old adult, and a music professor at a university. It is conceivable how strong the mother's control of Erika has been since she was a child. Erika has no freedom. The mother thinks that she is out of love for her daughter, but this kind of love is really scary. Erika is 40 years old. Living together without getting married, as a mother, I am not in a hurry at all, and I still have an attitude of not letting my daughter interact with strangers. It is not the style of my great mother. This is to make my daughter dedicate her life to the piano career. . In the letter to Walker, Erika expressed her desire to escape from her mother, hoping to be abused next door to her mother's room, and to let him take the key away so that her mother could not come in. How disgusting her mother treats her It is conceivable that the constraints will breed this desire.
Having such a perverted old mother should be Erika's nightmare in childhood, and of course it is also the primary reason for Erika's morbid psychology.
2. Father
When it comes to father, there is no large chapter in the movie, but when Erika told Walker about Schumann, she said that the reason why she was so aware of the mental trance was because her father had a mental illness and died in a mental hospital. Poor Erika's mother is a control freak, and her father is a neurotic. Of course, it also reminds people whether Erika's mental condition is influenced by her father's genetics. In short, as Erika, she has not enjoyed a warm family life, and she has not felt love. Yes, how can someone who can't love love someone, that's why she can't respond to Wlker's love normally.
3. Desire
and desire, this is an important part of the movie, walker, a young and talented handsome guy, because of Erika's artistic sense when playing the piano and Erika's unique temperament that seems to be thousands of miles away, he has a love for him. Because Erika has been teasing himself again and again, his desire to conquer keeps rising. Maybe he still admired Erika in the beginning, but in the end he should only have the desire to conquer and fight back. How much love is left is worth considering.
And Erika's inner desire, on the surface she is a calm and sharp piano teacher, an elegant profession, but in her heart there is a hidden desire for masochism and a perverted sexual catharsis. Watching the yellow videotape, smelling the paper balls of men wiping semen to climax, peeking at the men and women who are having sex in the car excitedly urinating on the side, cutting their genitals with a blade is as simple as she is used to, after encountering Walker, she put The deeper desires hidden in my heart were written down through letters. Before, they were only self-abuse, and the deeper desires were to be abused, bound and whipped by others.
Anyway, I told the little handsome guy that he is a sexual masochist. This is the result of a misunderstanding of sexual desire. It is the excessive demand for sexual satisfaction caused by the lack of sexuality for a long time. Ordinary sex can no longer satisfy her, only through masochism. Sensing pain for sexual pleasure. Of course, these desires of hers are incompatible with her own identity and the expectations of her mother. Erika also seeks liberation by breaking through her psychologically imprisoned life through these perverted behaviors.
4. Love
Huppert said he played a love story, think about it too.
Since Erika and Walker met, Walker boldly expressed his pursuit of Erika, and the feelings at the beginning were strong, chasing others to the classroom.
Huppert's performance is too delicate, starting from talking with Walker at a private concert, it is the first time that a boy has taken the initiative to chat with him, talking about his favorite Schumann Schubert. Then the most exciting scene was Walker taking the entrance exam. Walker played the piano on the stage. The director gave Huppert a long single shot, from the whole body to the half body to the close-up of the face, Huppert's delicate limbs and face. The expression perfectly portrayed a woman who was surging, excited, rational, arrogant and disdainful on the outside. From the time Walker came to apply for his own course, he knew that the drunkard didn't mean to drink. At first, Erika refused on the surface, and kept questioning and attacking Walker, which made him embarrassed, but how excited she was inside, just like herself in the movie I finally waited for someone who wanted to get close to her and open her heart, so she quietly followed Walker to the skating rink with a special smile on her face. Watching the movie, I knew that Erika rarely smiled. She treats her students very seriously and even sarcastically.
Until the rehearsal of the school concert, because of Walker's concern for her female student, Erika was so jealous that she broke the glass and poured the glass residue into the female student's coat pocket, which hurt the female student's hand, you know How important is the hand of the piano player. When the female student's hand was pierced and bleeding, she told Walker that she fainted and bleed, so you can be a flower protector. Outright jealousy. Because of this incident, the walker noticed Erika's affection for him, so there was a classic clip on the poster in the toilet.
The clothes Erika wore before were all black and white and gray, and there was no color on her body, but after this contact, you will find that the colors of Erika's clothes have changed, red cardigan, orange shirt, red hat. And also put on lipstick. Erika really liked this boy who broke into her closed world, so she changed these small details, so she found him to apologize after Walker read his letter of desire, crying and saying that he was wrong, in the future I listen to you. The one who was mocked by Walker has no dignity and still says I love you, love you.
When he admitted that he fell in love with Walker and was willing to compromise, Walker was tired of playing games and shouted that he thought Erika was disgusting and that no one would want to approach her.
Loving this thing can sometimes make people humble to the dust. Whoever loves more is passive. At first, because of his admiration for Erika, Walker is willing to listen to Erika's words and be obedient. In the end, Erika was humiliated and raped because of her love.

5.
The ending of the movie is open-ended. After Erika was raped by Walker, she went to the school concert the next day to play the piano on behalf of the schoolgirl. She brought a knife. I didn't know she brought this one at first. What is the purpose of the knife, Erika has been waiting in the hall, and when the walker is reached, she walks over, this time she is wearing the same clothes as the first time they met and has the same hairstyle, she looks at the walker, There are still bruises on his face. Walker is still as young and handsome as the first time he saw him. He walked over to say hello to Erika as quickly as nothing had happened. He didn't even walk to Erika's side, it was just that far After greeting from Yuan, Erika drew out a knife and stabbed her left chest. At this time, the pain of being stabbed by the knife was definitely far less painful than the heart. Yes, she knew that she and Walker were over, at least for each other.
Erika walked into the street, the blood kept flowing, dyeing her shirt red, she just walked away with a blank face and left there.
That's how the movie ends.
Think about what life will be like after Erika? Maybe he is still a piano teacher and lives with his mother as before, nothing has changed, right? What can she change? It's pathetic to think about. So let it end like that. Let her leave that sad place, even temporarily.

Bye bye Erika
PS: Haneke's musical literacy, who only listens to classical music, the music in the movie is too suitable for the movie, and it feels like one with the movie.

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Extended Reading

The Piano Teacher quotes

  • Erika Kohut: Do you like me calling you darling?

    Walter Klemmer: It's absolutely marvelous.

    Erika Kohut: You must be patient. I'll give you all the names, we'll play all the games you want.

    Walter Klemmer: You know you really stink? Sorry, you stink so much, no one will ever come close to you. You'd be better leave town until you don't stink so bad. Rinse your mouth more often, not just when my cock makes you puke.

  • Erika Kohut: Schubert's dynamics range from scream to whisper not loud to soft. Anarchy hardly seems your forte. Why not stick to Clementi? Schubert was quite ugly. Did you know? With your looks, nothing can ever hurt you.

    Walter Klemmer: Why destroy what could bring us together?

    Erika Kohut: Mannerism is no...

    Walter Klemmer: [interrupting her] Why can't I look at you? Because if I do, I won't resist the temptation to kiss you on the neck. May I kiss you on the neck?

    [she walks away]