I just finished watching Haneke’s “The Piano Teacher” Gosh I think this film is wonderful but I’m feeling incredibly morally confused after (which I suppose was the purpose of the film). I think the exploration of how isolation, trauma, and shame manifest themselves into people is so interesting. It is clear that Erika is a very troubled person, shown through her persistent issues with her mother, her self-harming behaviour, her perturbing behaviour at the porn shop, her violence towards her student etc. I suppose a lot of incredibly creative people like Erika, require some sort of unstable personality. Along comes Walter, a young man, 17 in the book, but supposedly a 20-something university student in the film. Perhaps he was infatuated by this frigid woman, Erika? Perhaps he wanted to break her frigidity? It’s like a goal for him to conquer? But I do genuinely believe his affections for Erika were true in the beginning. I think his excitement towards her in the bathroom scene makes it seem authentic.…