The Piano Lesson is yet another adaptation of one of August Wilson's plays that Denzel Washington, as producer, has successfully shepherded from the stage to the screen—following 2016's Fences and 2020's Ma Rainey's Black Bottom. This time joined by sons John David Washington and Malcolm Washington as actor and director/co-writer respectively.
The Piano Lesson's cast is a familiar too—especially to Broadway stans— as much of it comes from the 2022 Broadway production, which won the Tony for Outstanding Revival of a Play. But it's Danielle Deadwyler (notably the only major actor in the film who didn't play the part on the stage) who truly stuns as Berniece Charles, a mother in mourning. Deadwyler just knows how to command a scene and continually shows us with each new role that she's a powerful acting presence who deserves a lot more attention. Mission accepted.
It's All About the Way You Make It Speak.
Deadwyler first popped on my radar in 2021's The Harder They Fall (the perfect film companion to Cowboy Carter...if you're in your hoedown era). Alongside an ensemble cast that features Jonathan Majors, Idris Elba, and Regina King, Danielle Deadwyler portrays Cuffee, based on the real life Cathay Williams, the only woman known to have served in the American Indian Wars, and the first Black woman to enlist in the Army. (Archives detail how Williams pulled this off: Taking advantage of the lawlessness of the West, she enlisted by posing as a man—Mulan syles.)
In the film, Cuffree is the right-hand of Stagecoach Mary, played by Zazie Beetz, and a member of Nat Love’s gang. Cuffee epitomizes the West: unflinching, independent, and rugged, which Deadwyler plays to perfection.
Deadwyler would go on to gain critical acclaim for her nuanced performance as the mother of Emmett Till (played by Jalyn Hall), a black teenager murdered by southern racists, in Chinonye Chukwu’s stirring real-life drama Till.
Deadwyler's portrayal of Mamie Till-Mobley, a heartbroken, furious, robbed mother, mourning the racist murder of her only child while campaigning for his justice—and who was instrumental in ensuring that Emmett’s name would not be forgotten—is one that's truly unforgettable.
Her face is the first and last the audience sees, and throughout the film’s runtime, it displays such a range of fierce emotions—joy during Mamie and Emmett’s car singalong sessions; apprehension when she waves him goodbye on his train ride down South; abject agony when she sees her son’s bloated, lifeless form for the first time.
Now Danielle Deadwyler is lending that range and gravitas to Malcolm Washington's adaptation of The Piano Lesson.
*SPOILERS FOR THE PIANO LESSON FROM THIS POINT*
Ain't Nothin' Like a Family Heirloom to Remind You Where You Come From.
The Piano Lesson finds Boy Willie Charles (John David Washington) coming with his friend Lymon (Ray Fisher) to visit Willie’s sister Berniece (Danielle Deadwyler) and his uncle Doaker (Samuel L. Jackson) in 1936 Philadelphia. Willie and Lymon have come down with a truck full of watermelons that they plan to sell. Willie, a sharecropper, wants to buy Sutter’s land, the land where his ancestors worked as slaves.
Boy Willie already has one part of the money he needs, while selling the watermelons will get him the second part. The third part of the money he needs, however, he wants to get from selling the family heirloom: the family piano in Berniece’s possession that is decorated with carvings of their enslaved ancestors.
For Boy Willie, the piano represents a way to get out of his family’s struggles and reclaim the land that his ancestors worked so hard on for years that he can finally own and move beyond this heartbreaking past. For Berniece, it’s a reminder of their family’s legacy that she refuses to get rid of, despite Boy Willie’s constant harping and complaining. As Boy Willie attempts to sell this piano and get his land, it soon becomes clear that the ghosts of the past are still around, ready to remind this family of the legacy of the piano.
Like the film itself, this is truly a family affair with Malcom Washington serving as director and co-writer, Denzel and Katia Washington as producers, and John David and Olivia Washington, who is Malcolm’s twin in real life and plays Young Mama Ola, as members of the cast. Apparently (allegedly) it was John David who told his father that his younger brother had some ideas for the film which ultimately led to him being entrusted to write and direct it. That’s a nice little alleyoop from big bro.
Every Object Has a Story to Tell.
The film is anchored by nomination-worthy performances by Washington and Deadwyler (both of whom should have Oscars by now), as brother and sister, and a relationship that can only be described as explosive. Their passionate disagreements are more than believable; they're almost scary. And film does such a good job of capturing the Black experience that it feels very familiar, almost like a journey home, despite being set nearly ninety years ago.
Adapting any play to the screen is no small task given the limited locations often used as well as it being more of an actor and writer driven medium rather than one for directors to stretch their visual style. And while John David Washington is quite good here, his performance can at times feel more suitable on the stage, particularly in scenes when he goes on a tear about trying to sell the piano, wherein he often takes on a proud, grandstanding tone. While other actors—notably Jackson, Fisher, and Michael Potts, who plays Wining Boy Charles—manage to modulate their performances for the screen more effectively.
But the real stand out here, and no doubt the one who will get a lofty awards campaign, is Danielle Deadwyler. She makes you feel Berniece’s pain at being a widowed black woman in the 30s trying to raise her daughter and hold on to her family’s legacy.
As Berniece, she's a woman who can't have anything: sleep, a bath, peace. Everyone wants something from her without offering anything in return. Her position in this family is infuriating and she reacts to the world through that sense of frustration.
In less skilled hands, this could've been an unlikeable character but Deadwyler gives her layers that, as the film progresses, we get to see unravel more and more. Deadwyler's Berniece can demand a sort of power simply with the tone of her voice or a glare that could cut like a knife.
By the third act, when The Piano Lesson begins to get into some darker territory, Deadwyler knows how to beautifully make this shift into a more horror-leaning story. It's a real testament to Deadwyler’s performance that even when Berniece starts seeing ghosts, the performance remains credible.
The Greatest Legacy We Can Leave Behind is the Impact We Make on Others.
Ultimately, The Piano Lesson is incredibly moving, powerful, and a worthy adaptation of August Wilson’s play. The entire ensemble cast delivers noteworthy performances. The finale, which brought the subtle metaphorical supernatural components center stage brought me damn near to tears, despite my familiarity with the source material—Wilson is my Shakespeare. It left me thinking about how I've handled my pwn family's generational trauma and, more so, its blessings.
Malcolm Washington proves himself to be a confident and capable director, handling Wilson's emotionally captivating work with care and reverence. With the added luxury of deeply committed talent fresh off a Broadway run and a crew full of heavy-hitting craftspeople, The Piano Lesson may be my favorite August Wilson adaptation for the screen to date.
This is the only use of nepotism I will accept.
4.5/5 ⭐: A fantastic performance enlivens an already soulful, powerful August Wilson adaptation.
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