Robert Eggers, although he cannot yet boast an extensive filmography, established himself several years ago as a specialist in horror films, all of which possess the distinctive traits of the director's style. This dedication to one genre has long raised questions among Eggers' fans about what films he prefers to watch at home after a long day of working on horror plots — and, surprisingly, the leader in Eggers' personal list turned out to be not a horror movie at all.
The Piano by Jane Campion is Robert Eggers' favorite film.
Robert Eggers revealed his favorite film — and it’s not a horror movie at all.
To the surprise of many fans, Eggers' favorite turned out to be a historical melodrama released back in 1993. The plot of The Piano unfolds in the mid-19th century in New Zealand, where Ada McGrath arrives with her mute daughter Flora to arrange a marriage of convenience for the latter. The only valuable thing Flora brings with her is a piano, with the sounds of which she somehow communicates with those around her. However, her inability to speak and the wedding plans do not prevent the heroine from getting involved in a complicated love story.
Some elements of Campion's style were borrowed by Robert Eggers for his own films.
The Piano was a triumph at many prestigious awards — the film won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival and three Academy Awards — and was praised for developing her own directorial style, which combines a slow pace of action with gradually increasing tension. This mix is characteristic of many masterpieces of world cinema, including the works of Robert Eggers, who seems to have indeed drawn inspiration from the melodrama to create his horror films.
