7 Reactions to The Piano Teacher

6. Kicked in the face

Now we’re near the end, and the popcorn in my stomach is getting nauseous. In a last ditch attempt to win over her man, she barricades herself inside her room with him using her dresser. The mom is outside banging on the door and nagging away. The unhealthy couple get into another argument over the tiresome logistics of her requested abuse, and he loses it, slapping her in face. As a final exclamation point, he kicks her in the face. Her mouth is bloody and she brings her nightgown to her face, which is eerily reminiscent of the earlier semen sniffing scene. She is emotionally devastated. The moral of the story is that our fantasies, when finally manifested, are unlikely to instill feelings once believed to do so.

Colloquial reaction:“Fuck.”