To sell or not to sell; that is the question.
It’s the central question, in fact, in both August Wilson and now Malcom Washington’s The Piano Lesson, the soul-stirring and razor-sharp family drama now streaming and playing in select theatres.
What originally began as Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize winning play almost 40 years ago has been carefully and attentively adapted for the screen in a family affair appropriate of one of the plot’s leading themes.
Not only has the story stood the test of time, but the verbal and ethical brawl between Boy Willie (John David Washington) and Berniece (Danielle Deadwyler) has amplified today with its wrought moral quandary about family, legacy and ownership.
Set in 1936 Pittsburgh, The Piano Lesson centres on two days of debates between siblings Boy Willie and Berniece about what to do with their family’s heirloom piano, decorated with wood carvings of their enslaved ancestors.
While a two-hour chat about a piano doesn’t seem like compelling drama, each side makes a great case: Boy Willie wants to sell it and buy the farmland his family was once enslaved on. Berniece, however, believes their family went through too much to protect the heirloom, and its value under their care is priceless.
That’s an outstanding premise and conflict for a story, ripe with suspense about how the family can resolve these two unmovable opinions. Wilson’s play and the screenwriting from Washington and Virgil Williams are rich with detail, insight and intrigue that ultimately build to a suspenseful, almost supernatural surprise.
Director/co-writer Washington makes a grand debut with this feature, but he’s got expert familial support: his father (and Hollywood legend) Denzel Washington was a producer, and his brother John David stars as Willie.
Together, the efforts of all three, in their respective areas of expertise, meld together effectively thanks to their respect for the source material.
Coincidentally, this is the second time Netflix has adapted one of Wilson’s well-known plays from his Pittsburgh Cycle series - their take on Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom was an equal creative success in 2020, going on to win two Oscars (and a now famous snub for Chadwick Boseman as Best Actor that year, just after he died.)
Read more here: Music's made with Ma Rainey - Review
This adaptation actually began as a stage revival on Broadway back in 2022, with half of the principal cast reprising their roles on screen (including stars Washington, Jackson, Potts and Fisher).
Netflix’s film version of that same production, however, highlights the supernatural elements far more - this now feels like a full, unapologetic ghost story.
Two years ago, I was fortunate to see that production in New York, and while it was well-made, I found the story and its connecting details much clearer on film than on stage. It’s also much easier to understand the thick character dialects on screen with precise sound mixing instead of an 1,100 seat theatre.
Every member of the cast gives stellar performances, but the main scene-stealers are Michael Potts as Wining Boy and Ray Fisher’s hysterical and sweet Lymon. Samuel L. Jackson also gets an incredible monologue recounting the titular piano’s history.
In all, it’s hard to describe the heights of drama The Piano Lesson achieves without spoiling its plot, but thanks to some excellent direction and editing from Malcolm Washington, August Wilson’s great work will now get to live on for a new generation in a way that does the play proud.
The Snapshot: Thanks to three creative men with the last name Washington, August Wilson’s legacy is done proud in a compelling family drama about a piano, a ghost, and a fearsome debate.
The Piano Lesson
9 out of 10
14A, 2hrs 5mins. Drama.
Directed and co-written by Malcolm Washington.
Starring John David Washington, Danielle Deadwyler, Samuel L. Jackson, Ray Fisher, Michael Potts, Corey Hawkins and Skylar Alice Smith.
Now streaming on Netflix for subscribers.
