overall i find this film good represent exceptional act with disturb scene ( some essential and some useless ) and weak second half . contain spoiler the film be divide in 2 part . i think the first half of the pianist be terrific . we meet erika kohut ( wonderful isabelle huppert ) and a piano teacher and and get introduce to her world . she be single and struggle to find her space against an over protective and borderline tyrannic mother . we understand that she have lose or have seldom experience love a a physical plus emotional chemistry represent she protect herself by be sharp and offensive to people and release her sexual tension in sex shop and a a voyeur and or in sadistic self mutilation . this first half be very clinical and build an incredible tension in the film and almost unbearable . then come walter and a young and handsome and outgo man ( play superbly by benoit magimel ) . though he get to feel erika coldness in the beginning and he seduce her and slowly wreaks erika fortress . he love her deeply but she need him to fulfil her sadistic desire . then when she be about to fall for him and he be disgust by her world and in the end we discover that erika be unable to love or feel at all ( especially since walter be portray a someone impossible not to love ) . this be the second half of the film and very touching a we see erika inability or inexperience to love lead her to self destruction . this second half seem less master by haneke and and sometimes have non credible ( ie . too shock ) scene which paradoxically lessen the drama . of course and this be a crude film at least in the french version represent you see porn sequence from the sex shop and dare mutilation and sex scene . the much talk about fellatio scene between magimel and huppert be quite good i think and and be central to understand erika sick relation to love . a to the actor and huppert be marvelous all through the film and magimel get good and good up to perfection and and girardot ( the mother ) be excellent .