Jane Campion's "The Piano",a Gothic Romance Film

Abstract

This dissertation aims at examing Jane Campion's “The Piano” as one of the few films directed by a woman to achieve critical and financial success. It will demonstrate that the film is inspired by Gothic Romantic writing in the tradition of the Bröntes and explore the relationship between fetishism and love. Chapter 1 introduces Jane Campion and her oeuvre, providing an overview of “The Piano”. Chapter 2 looks at the Gothic tradition and discusses the Gothic romance on screen. Chapter 3 returns to Jane Campion's “The Piano” exploring Gothic and Romantic elements of the film.