Recently, Netflix released the cinematic adaptation of prolific playwright August Wilson’s 1987 Pulitzer Prize-winning play The Piano Lesson. The production of the film was a family affair, with Denzel Washington’s family being involved behind the scenes and on screen. Denzel and her daughter Katia Washington were producers, his son John David Washington and his wife Pauletta Washington were cast members, and his son Malcolm Washington was the film’s director. This is uncanny since the major theme of the film is about family legacy, so parallels are happening on screen and behind the scenes. The Piano Lesson explores themes of ancestry and spirituality, which were highlighted through the intentional writing, acting, and visuals that amplified the storytelling.
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 in the backdrop of fireworks due to the 4th of July celebration. This provides beautiful red, white, and blue color visuals that are reflected outdoors in the nighttime as well as the reflective shadows inside the dark house the brothers are stealing from. Set during the aftermath of the Great Depression, the opening flashback scene in The Piano Lesson intentionally uses lighting to convey the racial violence experienced by Black Americans in the name of nationalism.
Twenty-five years after the sequence of the opening shot, we are introduced to Boy Willie (John David Washington) and his friend Lymon (Ray Fisher), who are both leaving Mississippi and heading to Pennsylvania to sell watermelons. When they arrive at their uncle’s house in Pennsylvania, we are introduced to his sister Berniece (Danielle Deadwyler), his niece Maretha (Skylar Smith), and his uncle Doaker. The premise of the story surrounds a family heirloom in the form of a piano that was specifically carved by Boy Willie and Berniece’s great-grandfather Papa Willie Charles, with images of their family tree. The dispute lies with Boy Willie wanting to sell the Piano and use the profit to buy land, while Berniece is adamant about keeping it within the bloodline. Despite the play version of The Piano Lesson being longer than the film, it still managed to convey the message of the story using vivid imagery through unspoken dialogue.
In Netflix’s Piano Lesson Legacy and Vision, Michael Potts expresses how a good amount of Wilson’s dialogue from the play made it into the film version. This maintained the integrity of his original work and gave the actors great material to work with. The dialogue conveyed through the writing was very authentic in portraying the dialect and lived experience of Black Americans during the 1930s. Even though there were two primary settings throughout The Piano Lesson, Doaker’s living room and the kitchen, the dialogue was thrilling enough to keep viewers engaged, which is a testament to the writing. The theme of ancestral lineage is present throughout the film through the character contrast of how Boy Willie and Berniece choose to honor their parents.
The Piano Lesson provides flashback shots of Boy Willie as a child being taught how to farm by his father, which informs his strong convictions about buying the land his ancestors were forced to toil. These 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 are centered around her mother, Mama Ola (Pauletta Washington), who made Bernice constantly play the piano as a way to connect with her dead husband. This made Bernice disconnect from playing the piano despite wanting to keep it in the family: she honors her mother’s tears and deep connection to the piano. The duality of maternal and paternal expression is displayed through the characters of Berniece and Boy Willie, which is intentional storytelling.
Music is a big component of The Piano Lesson, and this is expressed early on when Boy Willie explains to his niece Maretha the importance of the piano by making 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 stumping 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 to help her banish the evil spirit of James Sutter, a slave master who owned the piano. Despite a preacher attempting to bless the house and Boy Willie physically attempting to attack Sutter’s ghost, only Berniece prevails when she embraces the piano that traumatized her and calls on her ancestral lineage by playing intense, electrifying, eerie piano notes. The music becomes a part of Berniece, and they become intertwined, and we witness a transformation from denial of family connection to being the keeper of the family legacy.
The stellar acting from the cast was 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 expressed great comic relief that added a cheerful tone to The Piano Lesson. John David Washington’s fiery portrayal of Boy Willie evoked a sense of urgency in the viewers, which strongly conveyed the root of why he wanted to honor his father. In a cast dominated by men, Danielle Deadwyler’s presence on screen through the character of Berniece had a quiet, unspoken sense of power. Her expression of the character is strong but in an intuitive manner, which 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 who set the tone of The Piano Lesson through his intentional directing and artistically, visual filming style.
The film adaptation of The Piano Lesson provided stunning visuals through artistic shots that enhanced the storytelling. For a film with a primary set location, the use of flashbacks was excellent in cleansing the eyes of the audience by transporting them to another timeline. The Piano Lesson used lighting and color contrast masterfully, in addition to the beautiful writing, which was a great foundation for the actors to shine through the screen with performances that evoked emotions from the audience. Ultimately, the theme of ancestral lineage and reclaiming spiritual power through ancestral veneration was 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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