“And they all lived happily ever after”:

The Failure of a Happy Ending in The Piano (1993) and Barbe Bleue (2009)

Abstract

Jane Campion’s The Piano (1993) and Catherine Breillat’s Barbe Bleue (2009) are film
adaptations of the tale Bluebeard, both of which have a seemingly bright closure — “and
they all lived happily ever after”. “They”, as the female, are in the becoming process since
“one is not born, but rather becomes, a woman” (de Beauvoir 1956: 273), which changes the
nature of the film denouement. By looking at the female protagonists Ada McGrath in The
Piano and Marie-Catherine in Barbe Bleue, this research aims to deal with how female
“decisions” in attempting to accomplish themselves in the face of a crisis affect the
understanding of the film’s ending. First, female characterisation and plot development are
investigated with the construction of women’s feelings and perceptions at a given moment,
influencing the subsequent outcomes. Second, the significance of narrative techniques is
expounded with audience’s affective interaction with characters. The conclusion reached is
that in both films, repressed female temperament allows women to make judgements and
choices that predetermine the tragic core of the happy ending. The significance of this study
is to draw attention to the plight of women in the undercurrent, to make it possible for the
silent cries behind the beautiful fantasies to be heard.