Stars: Isabelle Huppert, Annie Girardot, Benoit Magimel, Susanne Lothar, Cornelia Kondgen, Udo Samel, Anna Sigalevitch, Thomas Weinhappel

Director: Michael Haneke

Summary: Erika Kohut is a piano teacher at the Vienna Conservatory, she is a repressed woman, who in her late thirties still lives at home with her mother. Walter Klemmer, a self assured student tries to seduce Erika, but is unprepared for the desire that he unleashes... French dialogue with subtitles.

Erika (Isabelle Huppert) teaches classical piano in a cold and often abrasive style. Approaching middle age, Erika lives with her doting mother (Annie Girardot) and still sleeps in the same bed with her. Erika's social life consists of occasionally sneaking away to a peep show where she secretly comes into contact with perverse passion, often using the discarded trash of previous customers. Her beautiful piano playing seduces youthful Walter (Benoit Magimel), who then takes the instructor's advanced class. Walter reveals his desire during a class session. Erika reacts curiously, presenting a long list of cruel, humiliating sexual acts she would like him to perform on her. Meanwhile, the teacher also torments a talented student (Anna Sigalevitch) who is already plagued by her own fears.
Michael Haneke (CODE UNKNOWN) directed this unflinching allegorical tale of cruelty. The film caused a stir at the Cannes Film Festival where it was controversial not only for its subject matter, but also because it won multiple awards there--the Grand Prize and acting awards for both Huppert and Magimel--despite leaving many audience members outraged. Based on a novel by Elfriede Jelinek, the film features numerous classical piano sonatas banged out in an aggressive style.

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Aspect Ratio:	Wide Screen
Main Language:	French
Region:	Region 2
Special Features:	Interview With Michael Haneke, Interview With Isabelle Huppert, Interview With Benoit Magimel, Theatrical Trailer
Subtitles:	English
Year:	2001
Release Date:	May 27, 2002
Runtime:	129 minutes
Certification:
Catalogue Number:	A R T 214 D V D
Keywords:	Subtitled, General, Teacher, Wide, Screen, French, Piano, Drama
Genre:	Drama