I think it’s hard to empathise with her but we still do. Haneke pushes the audience as to how far we can stretch our empathy to a quite honestly unlikeable person, however, as unlikeable as Erika is we still do feel this empathy towards her (as you said)! Love the video. Underrated flick imo.
That's the thing, for some people, it's all too easy to empathize with her. This movie broke me completely bc the pain it portraits went right through me like a blade.
Agreed, I was personally invested in Erika from the beginning, but once we followed her home to that tiny apartment, and, my god, into the bed that she shares with her mother, I was completely there for her. It never gave me what I really wanted, which was for Erika to find some happiness, but instead stripped away her privacy, no matter how disturbing that might be, showing us how that would be an utter impossibility.
I've seen two Haneke films, this and Funny Games 97, and while I like Funny Games a lot, I do agree with you that the Piano Teacher is the better film. It hits like a freight train, confronts the topic without flinching, and the psychological observation is acute
I'm still processing my thoughst on The Piano Teacher. I understood it on a base level, but I was having a hard time deciphering what it all mean on my first watch (Probably didn't help that I was pulled away a couple of times because someone wanted my attention). Gonna have to see it again (Or read the novel it's based on) some time in the future to see how it stacks up to Hanke's other works.
as to sexual deviancy and exploring it in a filmic way I would say it's an apples and oranges comparison but I would encourage you to watch Cronenbergs Crash based on the novel which structures itself like a pornography while these listless weird zombie people only experience any emotion at all and it's lunatic excitement while driving their cars dangerously and getting into accidents. Cronenberg I dunno I would never have compared him to haneke but actually, like some of his more mainstream stuff, is more fair to both of them than I originally would have given either credit haha, and what I am saying is for an exploration of the exact same nihilism and 'creative self destruction' that comes in such distinctly different and potent flavours is something.
Unnecessary for what? It isn't "necessary" to pick a favorite of anything, it's a matter of taste. My title was suggesting this film was my choice as a personnal favorite. As for what it is about I believe that is up to interpretation, mine was that Erika has all the symptoms of someone suffering from sexual frustration and overall oppressive feelings, and the film gives us all the reasons to understand why she is that way. It also explores power struggles and roles in relationships, but since Erika is the main character I believe the film is mostly about her own tragedy. But please tell me what you think the film is about, I'm curious to know.
