Screen adaptations of August Wilson’s plays have become award favourites over the past decade. In 2016, Fences was nominated for 4 Oscars, with Viola Davis winning Best Supporting Actress. In 2020, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom was nominated for 5. Following a successful Broadway production in 2022, it was announced that Netflix would distribute an adaptation of The Piano Lesson, aiming to continue this trend.
Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning 1982 play, The Piano Lesson follows the Charles family in 1930s Pittsburgh as they decide what to do with their family heirloom, a piano that their enslaved ancestor designed. Boy Willie (John David Washington) wants to sell the piano and buy Sutter’s land, the man who enslaved their family, while Berniece (Danielle Deadwyler) fights to keep the piano in the house and preserve its sentimental and historical value.
Denzel Washington has been at the helm of recent screen adaptations of Wilson’s work, an The Piano Lesson is no exception. He is producing the film, with his son Malcolm making his feature directorial debut and John David leading the cast. Malcolm shows considerable promise behind the camera, with several scenes beautifully shot, blocked, and acted, although these moments are somewhat sparse.
John David reprises his role from the 2022 Broadway production, and it appears that he did not fully adjust his performance for the screen compared to the stage. Every line delivery often feels over-the-top, conveying an energy that does not always align with the material, unlike Deadwyler and Samuel L. Jackson, who are more restrained but captivate every moment they are on screen.
While the first two acts follow dramatic narratives similar to Wilson’s other works, the third act introduces supernatural elements. Though hints of the supernatural are planted throughout the film, the climax feels underdeveloped and out of place. It feels like a different movie and doesn’t provide a natural conclusion to the story that precedes it, resulting in an unsatisfying ending.
Fans of Wilson’s work will appreciate the performances and the faithful adaption of the source material of The Piano Lesson, but it is unlikely to be remembered as significantly impactful compared to similar adaptations.
