Erika Kohut is a strict and reserved piano teacher at a prestigious conservatory in Vienna, Austria. She lives with her overbearing and controlling mother who stifles her personal desires and stunts her emotional growth. Erika's life is monotonous and confined to her work and her mother's constant demands.
One day, a talented and attractive young student named Walter begins to take an interest in Erika, and she starts to open up to him. However, their relationship takes a disturbing turn when Walter indulges in his own dark fantasies and desires at Erika's expense.
Erika becomes increasingly unstable and self-destructive as the relationship becomes more complicated and abusive. She desperately turns to self-harm and seeks validation through pain and humiliation. The situation reaches a climax when Erika and Walter engage in a dangerous and sadomasochistic encounter, leaving both of them traumatized.
The Piano Teacher is a haunting and intense exploration of sexuality, power dynamics, and the struggle for intimacy. The film is an adaptation of the novel by Elfriede Jelinek and was directed by Michael Haneke. It features powerful performances from Isabelle Huppert as Erika and Benoît Magimel as Walter.