Directed by: Malcolm Washington
Written by: Virgil Williams & Malcolm Washington
Starring: Samuel L. Jackson, John David Washington, Ray Fisher, Michael Potts, Erykah Badu
Rating: [3.5/5]
Family heirlooms can have dual values, a sentimental and monetary one and it depends on the individual to decide which one matters more. This, of course, can vary greatly between family members especially if they’re expected to share it and The Piano Lesson has this issue coalesce around a piano as the value it represents receives thorough examination. Heightened emotions, vigorous debate, and surprisingly a ghost story, this feature brings yet another August Wilson play to the silver screen and does it well.
Arriving in Pittsburgh all the way from Mississippi, Boy Willie (John David Washington) arrives at the home of his sister Berniece (Danielle Deadwyler) and uncle Doaker (Samuel L. Jackson). With the prospect of buying a farm down in Mississippi, Boy Willie proposes to sell the family piano currently in Berniece’s home. Despite the many pleas by Boy Willie, Berniece refuses to budge on her position to not sell the piano.
While the simple argument at the center of The Piano Lesson rests on the decision to sell or not sell a singular piano, as you can imagine there’s more to the story about the profit it could bring. This piano carries a special significance in the lives of these characters as it goes back to their father’s time as a slave not too long ago. As the narrative reveals, the conquest to get this piano led to his death, which means for Berniece it means much more than what any dollar amount the piano could bring the family. Boy Willie, obviously, sees it differently especially when learning how he could buy the very farm of the man who enslaved their father. It serves as an opportunity to symbolically and literally take back something that their father slaved over by using the very object that brought the end of his life.
The arguments between the pair of siblings certainly gets intense and each has their valid reasons to believe what they do but filling in with the other characters allows this film to soar. This happens mostly with Doaker but also with the addition of Boy Willie’s friend Lymon (Ray Fisher), who came up from Mississippi as well. With Lymon as an outside observer and Doaker a direct witness of what happened that night to obtain the piano, they add their perspectives into this familial squabble that certainly clears things up.
With this operating as a film adapted from a play, the direction does a good job of making some of those stagey scenes dynamic. It then came as a pleasant surprise to learn the director at the helm was none other than Malcolm Washington the brother of John David Washington and, of course, the son of Denzel Washington. In his directorial debut he helps build out the intensity of these arguments but also the elements of this general ghost story occurring as their past begins to weigh down on the decision they will eventually make. Elements of the ghost story were certainly effective, however when it began to somewhat get literal, it began to lose some of its luster. Whether that comes down to Washington’s direction or the play itself that element did not necessarily work.
As a given, when adapting a play, much of the quality hinges on the performance of the actors as they have a mouthful of dialogue they need to deliver and do so in an engaging manner. Of the crop Danielle Deadwyler showed out in ways we can come to expect from her on a daily basis. Having to portray the character most emotionally charged through this situation where everyone else has a bit more levity, Deadwyler brings down the house on more than one occasion. She frankly has less screen time than some of the other characters but she ensures every moment she’s on-screen she continually captivates.
Yet another strong August Wilson adaptation brought to a feature film, The Piano Lesson brings plenty to enjoy as we have a family squabble bubble up to bring out some previous trauma that still haunts over these characters. Certain aspects of it fall flat but we have a decently strong directorial debut by Malcolm Washington and a strong cast putting in some great work to all culminate in an enriching and enjoyable film.
Films with Josh 
