August Wilson was an American playwright who wrote in 1987 the play “The Piano Lesson” with which he was awarded several prizes. Already in 1995 the play was taken to television winning several Emmys.
On this occasion, it makes the leap to the big screen by the hand of Malcom Washington, being his debut film. The director is also behind the screenplay, based on the play, along with Virgil Williams.
The cast of African-American actors is headed by the veteran Samuel L. Jackson, who performs satisfactorily, something common throughout his long career.
At his side are several young actors who do a great job and carry the story on their backs, as it usually happens every time a theatrical work is brought to the screen.
It is worth mentioning that the whole footage is sprinkled with a very interesting soundtrack with African-American background.
The film plunges us into a family dispute triggered by the inheritance of a piano. This instrument not only symbolizes the material legacy of a family, but also its history, full of wounds and hidden truths.
To do this, both expose their interests and try to make their point of view the winner of the contest, to unveil old hidden secrets as the plot progresses.
Malcolm Washington shows flashes of skill behind the camera, constructing a restrained drama in which silences and glances carry as much weight as dialogue.
His intimate approach allows the piano to be not only a physical object, but also a character in the narrative, a symbol of union and discord.
John David Washington and Danielle Deadwyler deliver solid performances, with an emotional range that manages to convey the tension inherent in the story.
Washington embodies a pragmatic and seemingly aloof character, whose desire to sell the piano reflects a detachment from the family's past.
Deadwyler, on the other hand, brings emotional depth to her role as the sister who sees the piano as an anchor for her family's memory and identity.
