Directed by Malcolm Washington, produced by his father Denzel (with Todd Black), co-produced by sister Katia, and co-starring brother John David Washington, The Piano Lesson is not just a creative explosion born from the coming together of such a talented family, but one of the finest stage-to-screen adaptations in decades. Along with screenwriter Virgil Williams, the director adapts August Wilson’s Pulitzer prize-winning 1987 work into one of the most powerful and soulful cinematic experiences of the year. 

Denzel Washington and Todd Black successfully piloted two previous Wilson works to the screen. 2016’s Fences (also directed by and starring Washington) and 2020’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, directed by George C. Wolfe. Washington (who did some of his finest work in Fences) understands the essence of Wilson’s characters. The playwright built a strong foundation in depicting the struggles of being Black in America; each play a devastatingly emotional experience of family, sacrifice, and generational pain. Wilson was a true poet who infused his dialogue with a sharp and unique rhythm. It is the type of writing that wouldn’t seem to lend itself to the film world, but all three of the playwright’s adaptations are finely tuned to his cadence. As director of one and producer of all three, Denzel Washington has an innate respect for Wilson’s style and the deep power of the stories he tells. As we see with The Piano Lesson, his son Malcolm (making his feature length directorial debut) has inherited his father’s understanding of the visionary writer.

This incredible adaptation of Wilson’s work is not simply a strong family drama, but the text’s underlying power lies in its examination of confronting emotional wounds caused by the horrors of the past. For these characters, the real-world monsters of racism and oppression continue to plague their existence. As they confront their collective traumas, it will take the soul of their ancestors to banish the ghosts that haunt them. Reaching into the past to change one’s future is an eloquent, passionate, and universal lesson. 

It is 1936 and Boy Willie (John David Washington) is leaving the South for Pittsburgh, with his best friend Lyman (Ray Fisher). After a white land owner named Sutter (whose family enslaved Boy Willie’s) dies after falling into a well (some believe a spirit called “The Yellow Dog” pushed him), his land is up for sale. Boy Willie wants to buy the land where his family was enslaved, perhaps easing some of his pain regarding the past. Boy Willie intends to do this with the profits he makes from selling both the truckload of watermelons that took them up north and his family’s piano, which is in his Uncle Doaker’s house. While his Doaker (Samuel L. Jackson) is ambivalent regarding what happens to the instrument, Boy Willie’s sister Bernice (a tremendous Danielle Deadwyler) stands firm in her refusal to let it go. 

Berniece, who lives with uncle Doaker and daughter Maretha (Skylar Aleece Smith), stopped playing the piano some time ago after her mother died. She lives in fear of even touching the keys, as the blood of her family members is ingrained in the wood. The ghosts must not be awakened; the past to be left alone.

The piano is a family heirloom crafted with the sweat, blood, and spirit of the family’s ancestors. The instrument is not merely a source of music, as there is deep-rooted history in its existence. The Sutter clan traded members of Boy Willie and Bernice’s family for the piano, enslaving the lives they traded. The husband of the bartered wife is tasked to carve the faces of his missing family into the piano, forever connecting the generations to come to their shared history. Boy Willie feels they should all turn their backs on the past, as he wishes to look forward with hope. The money from the piano could be used to build the foundation for a brighter future. While she no longer wants it to be played, Berniece respects it as a symbol of their history; the heavy burdens of the injustices their family suffered is a pain that must be remembered.

The Piano Lesson is a film full of treasures. The perfect cast flawlessly embodies Wilson’s characters, each one expertly navigating his distinctive dialogue. Malcolm Washington and his cinematographer Mike Gioulakis weave the camera through each scene, while the actors move naturally through the limited surroundings, almost dancing with their rhythmic dialogues. The fluidity of the camera allows the performances to breathe and removes the stuffiness that hinders most stage to screen works. Washington and his crew work hard to make this cinematic without losing the intimacy of the piece.

John David Washington sells the resolute nature of Boy Willie, bringing a combative power to the performance. His role is the most outwardly expressive, as Boy Willie is bursting to release himself (and his family) from their pain. Washington’s intense and high voltage work is his finest to date.

As Uncle Doaker, Samuel L. Jackson brings the natural gravitas that earned him a Tony nomination when he played the role on Broadway. His fine work exists as one of a chorus of beautifully performed supporting characters that include the siblings’ other uncle, Jazz-man/hustler Wining Boy Charles (Michael Potts, in a marvelous performance) and Avery Brown (the always great Corey Hawkins), a local preacher who hopes to  marry Bernice, who seems reluctant but somewhat open to his charms. 

Danielle Deadwyler gives the performance of the year. Bernice is a woman of contradictions. A stern woman who portrays herself as constantly annoyed and resentful, this is a woman who (it is revealed) burns with love. Her hardened shell begins to crack as different emotional confrontations force her to find her true self. In one of the film’s best moments, Bernice finds her affections moving away from Avery, as she becomes unexpectedly drawn to Lymon. The moment is a quiet and touching coming together of two good souls who are drawn to one another’s kindness, finding a connection in their mutual comfort. The actress expresses so much with her eyes. We can see Bernice almost pleading for release. She just wants to live a good life and help to make a better world for her daughter. The soul of the film, Deadwyler’s compelling and impactful work will stay with you. 

When the story’s supernatural elements rise to the forefront, Washington and cinematographer Gioulakis find a striking visual dynamic. The symbolic, metaphorical, ghosts come to fruition in an eerie representation of the present coming to terms with the memories of the past. As the family is surrounded by the painful echoes of their forefathers and mothers, the film connects the lasting impact of slavery and the tragic history of the Black communities in America. For Bernice, Boy Willie, and their family, the ghosts are here to teach them that it is time to take ownership of the past. The dark history and trauma that haunts them can no longer weigh down the hope for the next generation. Reclaim your truth and give power to your existence. Let the past breathe inside you. Your life is their tribute. 

Malcolm Washington’s assured direction is a beautiful celebration of the legendary playwright. The filmmaker knows the right time to move and when to stay still. Washington captures the intensity of the performances while creating an artful canvas where the themes of Wilson’s piece burn into one’s soul. 

Intense, profound, chilling, and ultimately uplifting, The Piano Lesson brilliantly explores the resilience of one family coming together to confront and define their legacy. This is a picture that pays great respect to August Wilson, the characters he created, and the inherent power of the story he tells.

The Piano Lesson opens in select cinemas Friday November 8th and will premiere on Netflix November 22nd.

The Piano Lesson

Written by August Wilson (Adapted by Malcolm Washington & Virgil Williams)

Directed by Malcolm Washington

Starring John David Washington, Danielle Deadwyler, Samuel L. Jackson, Ray Fisher, Michael Potts, Corey Hawkins

PG-13, 125 Minutes, Netflix Studios, Mundy Lane Entertainment