“Bloodstained Ivory” follows an aspiring concert pianist who goes to extreme lengths that slowly destroy his relationships and end in violence during his final year of music school.
Writer-director Klein Haley immediately makes one thing clear: Ross is ambitious. He picks a challenging piece that others caution him against attempting. He dreams of the entire world knowing his name. He doesn’t really consider any alternative besides success. Within the initial 15 minutes of buildup, this creates a constant stream of tension as you wait for the other shoe to drop.
“I’ve always loved your ambition.”
While Haley’s screenplay is typically slow-moving, there are moments where the escalation seems sudden. “Bloodstained Ivory” spends much of its 113-minute runtime on human dialogue and piano notes. However, violence does creep in abruptly. For any ordinary person, this would feel completely out of the blue. With Ross at the center, it’s less of a shortcut and more of a natural progression.
The camerawork plays a role in this intensity. Typically, director of photography Sam Taylor delivers smooth visuals through slow and steady pans or rotations. There are instances where this “perfection” is broken, showcasing the extreme pressure that Ross puts on himself. The film goes completely off the rails in the final act, delivering on the bloodstain that the title promises. Rather than making the violence over-the-top, Haley and Taylor present close-ups of blood splatter, facial expressions and explosive movements as they occur. Lennon Bramlett’s score has a similar effect, with deliberate rumbles that grow louder or diminish to complete silence. Of course, the rhythmic piano melodies also serve as a core piece of the movie’s auditory identity.
The main theme of “Bloodstained Ivory” is purpose. Rather than being focused on the art, Ross is focused on winning. When humans want something so bad, they sometimes forget why they’re actually doing it. Through this, Haley explores the all-consuming nature of chasing greatness and the destructive paths that it can take you. For most viewers, someone playing the piano isn’t the first thought that would come to mind when exploring this idea, similar to the use of ping-pong in “Marty Supreme.” But it’s surprisingly beautiful, exhibiting the difference between simply “pounding out the notes” and putting on a show.
Nick Skonberg’s (Ross Bennett) character is anything but humble. He’s soft-spoken, but displays flashes of anger in the blink of an eye. It’s a versatile performance in this way, as he shifts from ordinary conversations to guttural screams and physical reactions. His bodily responses often say a lot more than words alone could.
LaRonn Marzett (Donovan Fish) plays a charismatic character who is always down for hugs and dapping up. He conveys a very friendly personality that seems genuine but also passive-aggressive. Marzett and Skonberg go back and forth in entertaining ways, resulting in a number of heated and awkward exchanges. Mackenna Shults (Vanessa Lyles), who plays Ross’ girlfriend, doesn’t take up as much screentime. She still makes the most of it. Kindness radiates through her words, and emotion seeps through her facial expressions, specifically during a lengthy piano solo in the final act. Joette Waters (Professor Veres) has the perfect dry delivery for her character’s critique-heavy personality. It’s an accurate portrayal of a professor who cares about all the intricate details of her craft.
“Bloodstained Ivory” is the “Marty Supreme” of pianism. It’s a dark examination of just how far humans are willing to go to achieve fame.
Rating: 4 out of 5
