The Piano Teacher

2001 131 min ★ 7.3 Drama, Romance

Erika Kohut, a sexually repressed piano teacher living with her domineering mother, meets a young man who starts romantically pursuing her.

▶ Watch Trailer

Cast

Isabelle Huppert

Erika Kohut

Annie Girardot

Erika's Mother

Benoît Magimel

Walter Klemmer

Susanne Lothar

Mme Schober

Udo Samel

Dr. George Blonskij

Anna Sigalevitch

Anna Schober

Cornelia Köndgen

Mme Gerda Blonskij

Thomas Weinhappel

Baritone

Georg Friedrich

L'homme en voiture

Philipp Heiss

Naprawnik

Details

Director

Michael Haneke

Screenplay

Michael Haneke

Status

Released

Original Language

FR

Budget

$6,200,000

Revenue

$6,766,708

Production

Wega Film, Les Films Alain Sarde, ARTE France Cinéma, Bavaria Film International, OFI, MK2 Productions

Reviews

C

CinemaSerf

September 25, 2025

★ 7/10

There are some fairly unnerving strands in this drama that make for uncomfortable viewing at times. “Erika” (Isabelle Huppert) is a rather uncharismatic music professor, still living and sleeping with her mother (Annie Girardot) who finds herself being pursued by the handsome young pianist “Walter“ (Benoît Magimel). Ostensibly, he wants her to guide him through the vagaries of Schubert, but is cle...