MovieChat Forums > The Trap Discussion > The Trap vs. The Piano

The Trap vs. The Piano

posted 19 years ago by holeheart
12 replies | jump to latest

I had seen "The Trap" as a kid on a UHF station, it was the "movie of the week". After my first viewing I was hooked and watched it again and again. I never owned it but I never forgot it.
Years later but long before IMDB "The Piano" with Holly Hunter etc, became an outrageous hit. I remember how the author (Champion?) was touted as brillant, but when I finally saw it all I could think of were the likenesses to "The Trap".
I was unimpressed but longing to talk to someone who could compare the two movies with me. Anyone out there have any thoughts?
I'll try to list the likenesses I thought were odd... this is from memory, so pardon the lack of authenticity: Both were in a similiar remote place. Pianos were prevelent in both, the main character was mute, not deaf (I think) extremities were brutally cut off - Oliver Reeds leg , Holly's finger ,main mute character was in an arranged marriage (or purchased), both had some form of tribal characters, I think the time period was similiar, I think both characters went mute from a horrible event they witnessed. and of course Love.
What do you think?

[–] 19 years ago

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[–] 19 years ago

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[–] vladimir-137 18 years ago

Absolutely, that's exactly what I thought when I saw The Piano; not because of point-by-point correspondences but because of the general similarity of theme.

Naturally I prefer The Trap.

[–] mary-campbell-2 17 years ago

I loved both these movies when each was released, and sure ,now that I think about it, the themes were similar,and there were some coincidences of plot. They were, after all, both set in similar time periods on frontier towns in raw new lands. However I think of them as quite different, each unique and quite wonderful in its own way. Perhaps because I am a New Zealander? The Piano - Jane Campion's film- captured the ESSENCE of New Zealand and of the horrors of settling a wet, bush clad land with a savage indigenous people. It was beautifully filmed, and felt absolutely right to me. The landscape was so FAMILIAR, so wild, in a New Zealand way - completely different from Canada, with its snow, fir forests, wolves,, trappers... a whole different place and way of life.

Lets just be thankful that people like Jane Campion are still making beautifull movies in the spirit of The Trap!!

[–] Madeline5 17 years ago

There were similar events as you mentioned, however the characters are completely different. Over time Eve grew fond of John Le Bet, in spite of his wild uncouth ways and after she had some time to herself and thought about it all, she came back to him, rather than marry the young man from the village. At the end, both were willing and ready to change, to give a little of themselves to each other. Whereas in the Piano, the wife loathes her brutish husband and in the end must leave him.

Stories can have similar events and even plots, but it's the expression of the idea that makes them unique.

I liked both films in their own way very much.

[–] gingercata 16 years ago

Must admit I never thought of the two films as being in any way similar but I can now see where you people are coming from.However I saw The Piano on a no. of occasions and enjoyed it but not in any way as much as The Trap.Whereas both films deal in large parts with isolation, brutality and lust,I feel that The Piano does not contain any of the gentleness in the love story or warmth in the ending which The Trap does.Is the relationship in The Piano one of lust and a convenient bargain as against The Trap's growth from a bargain of sorts to a genuinely gentle and affectionate love?

[–] kkentuckywoman 15 years ago

This is so strange--reading your posting, I was taken back to my own first viewings of THE TRAP. It was a Philadelphia UHF station & they repeated the movie all week--so I watched it every time I could. Never saw it since, but it left an indelible impression. I think the transformation of Oliver Reed's character by love is very effective and effectively portrayed. More tender than the relationships in THE PIANO. I just checked out a book from the library, called THE HELLRAISERS, combined bio of Burton, O'Toole, Richard Harris, and Reed. I suspect I am still under the influence of THE TRAP. Interesting fact: Reed is the nephew of director Carol Reed, responsible for the magic of THE THIRD MAN.

[–] holeheart 15 years ago

What's really strange is that I was watching it in Philadelphia too. We both must have been at a similarly impressionable age.

[–] matthewpcowell 14 years ago

I think I saw it at the same time. I was about 10 years old and my brother and I had the flu, so mom set up a TV in our bedroom and we watched it every time it was on. Was it on channel 17 or 48?

[–] Mehki_Girl 13 years ago

I remember watching this in the movie theatre when I was a kid and being haunted by it. It came on TV about 18 years ago and I missed recording it. I started searches for it on line a couple of years ago and finally found someone who had transferred it to DVD and I paid about ten dollars for it. I think you can get a DVD on Netflix now (wish it was streamed). Thought out it today and can't remember where I put the darn thing.

[–] 13 years ago

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[–] sploiter 10 years ago

Old thread but yeah I'm pretty sure there's a lot of 'inspiration' from the Trap in the Piano.

I think the Trap is _way_ better than the Piano and I think Jane Campion is so overrated it hurts but I'm sure some other people will disagree with that.