Recently, Netflix released the cinematic adaptation of prolific playwright August Wilson’s 1987 Pulitzer Prize-winning play The Piano Lesson. The film production is a family affair, since Denzel Washington’s family contributes behind the scenes and on screen.
Denzel and her daughter, Katia Washington, are producers. His son, John David Washington, and his wife, Pauletta Washington, are cast members. And his other son, Malcolm Washington, is the film’s director. This is uncanny because the major theme of the film is about family legacy, so parallels occur on screen and behind the scenes. The Piano Lesson explores themes of ancestry and spirituality. These themes are highlighted through the intentional writing, acting, and visuals that amplify the storytelling.
Plot
The film opens with Boy Charles (Stephan James) and his brothers, Winning Boy (Michael Potts), and Doaker Boy (Samuel L Jackson), attempting to steal a piano. This occurs against a backdrop of fireworks due to the 4th of July celebration. It reflects a mix of beautiful red, white, and blue color visuals outdoors at night. The house the brothers are stealing from also reflects these visuals through the shadow inside the dark house. The film is set during the aftermath of the Great Depression. Through the opening flashback scene, The Piano Lesson intentionally uses lighting to convey the racial violence Black Americans experience in the name of nationalism.
Twenty-five years after the sequence of the opening shot, Boy Willie (John David Washington) and his friend Lymon (Ray Fisher) are introduced. They are both leaving Mississippi and headed to Pennsylvania to sell watermelons. When they arrive at their uncle’s house in Pennsylvania, the viewers meet his sister Berniece (Danielle Deadwyler), his niece Maretha (Skylar Smith), and his uncle Doaker.
The premise of the story highlights a family heirloom in the form of a piano that the late Papa Boy Willie intentionally carves. He is Berniece and Boy Willie’s great-grandfather, who carves the piano with images of their family tree. The story’s conflict lies with Boy Willie wanting to sell the Piano and use the profit to buy land. However, Berniece is adamant about keeping it within the bloodline. The play version of The Piano Lesson is longer than the film. Despite this, the film still conveys the story’s message through vivid imagery and unspoken dialogue.
Writing
In Netflix’s Piano Lesson Legacy and Vision, Michael Potts expresses how a good amount of Wilson’s dialogue from the play makes it into the film. As a result, the film gives the actors great material to work with while maintaining the integrity of Wilson’s original writing. The writing conveys dialogue that is authentic in portraying the dialect and lived experience of Black Americans during the 1930s.
The Piano Lesson uses two primary settings throughout the film: Doaker’s living room and kitchen. Despite this, the dialogue is thrilling enough to keep viewers engaged, which is a testament to the writing. The film’s theme of ancestral lineage is present throughout. How Boy Willie and Berniece’s approach honoring their parents in opposite ways highlight the theme.
Family Legacy
The Piano Lesson provides flashback shots of Boy Willie as a child farming with his father. This informs his strong convictions about buying the land his ancestors were forced to toil. The visuals convey beautiful imagery of the landscape, and its contrast with the sunlight adds a nostalgic feel to the recollection of Boy Willie’s inner child.
Berniece’s childhood recollections center around her mother, Mama Ola (Pauletta Washington). As a child, she makes Bernice constantly play the piano as a way to connect with her dead husband. This trauma forces Bernice to disconnect from playing the piano despite wanting to keep it in the family. It allows Bernice to honor her mother’s tears and deep connection to the piano. The duality of maternal and paternal expression expresses the film’s intentional storytelling.
Spirituality
Music is a big component of The Piano Lesson conveys early on through Boy Willie and his niece Maretha. He explains to Maretha the importance of the piano and makes her feel the carved-out visual representation of their ancestors.
In a later scene, the men break out into a powerful acapella song that involves stomping and expressive belching to honor their shared space. In contrast, Berniece uses playing the piano to express the theme of spirituality when she calls upon the spirits of her ancestors. She seeks their help in banishing the evil spirit of James Sutter, a slave master who owned the piano.
Despite a preacher’s attempts to bless the house and Boy Willie physically attempting to attack Sutter’s ghost, only Berniece prevails. This occurs when she embraces the piano that traumatized her and calls on her ancestral lineage. She does this while playing intense, electrifying, eerie piano notes. The music becomes a part of Berniece, and they become intertwined. We witness a transformation from denial of family connection to being the keeper of the family legacy.
Acting
The stellar acting by the cast is the biggest highlight of The Piano Lesson. Samuel L Jackson’s tranquil portrayal of Doaker provided a stable foundation for the main cast to shine. Michael Potts’ portrayal of Winning Boy expresses great comic relief that adds a cheerful tone to the film. John David Washington’s fiery portrayal of Boy Willie evokes a sense of urgency in the viewers. His performance strongly conveys the root of why he wants to honor his father.
In a cast dominated by men, Danielle Deadwyler’s presence on screen through the character of Berniece has a quiet, unspoken sense of power. She expresses the character in a strong but in an intuitive manner. This especially shines towards the end of the film when she reclaims her ancestry and emotionally grips us with a roaring cry to her ancestors.
The memorable acting can also be attributed to the directorial debut of Malcolm Washington. He sets the tone of The Piano Lesson through his intentional directing and visually artistic filming style.
Impact
The film adaptation of The Piano Lesson provides stunning visuals through artistic shots that enhance the storytelling. For a film with a primary set location, the use of flashbacks is excellent in cleansing the eyes of the audience and transporting them to another timeline. The Piano Lesson also uses lighting and color contrast masterfully. In addition, the beautiful writing is a great foundation for the actors to shine through the screen. The cast’s overall performance evokes a deep emotion from the audience. Ultimately, the theme of ancestral lineage and reclaiming spiritual power through ancestral veneration is clearly expressed in Malcolm Washington’s directorial debut.
Powerful acting performances
Impeccable writing and dialogue
Stunning visuals and play with lighting
For original play viewers, the movie can feel like a theatre production on screen
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