Black Swan directed by Darren Aronofsky is a psychological thriller. The film is about a dancer, Nina who lives with her mother who ended her career because she was pregnant with her. The main actors are Nina, her mother Erica, Lily and Thomas the ballet director. Nina is preparing for the production of Swan Lake. She is obsessed with perfection and with playing the leading role of swan queen. Nina has self-harm issues but she manages to keep them out of her career. We can see how monstrous is her mother and how is treating to her. In the scene where her mother is offering a cake because of Nina’s success of taking the leading role we can see how monstrous is she by trying to throw the cake and making Nina to obey her. Her mother treats her like a little child. She doesn't let her live her own life. Nina is dominated by her mother. Nina’s challenge is to play the evil twin of the white swan, the black swan.
Figure 2: Nina performing the Black Swan
She has to find the darker, more sensual side of herself. Thomas invites Nina back to his apartment for intimate drinks. He instructs her to go home and touch herself and stop being such a perfectionist and simply lose herself in the role. The black swan takes control of Nina and shows to the audience the dark side of her. As Nina develops her dark side, she argues with her mother, she goes out with Lily and takes ecstasy, she has hallucinations and she touches herself until her nervous breakdown. The whole film is operatic and really strange. It contains scenes of body horror especially in the scene when Nina’s legs bending and snapping. Also it contains same sex scenes. The big motif in the whole film is black and white. The film is also desaturated . We can observe this especially in the scene where she puts lipstick how the colors are being shown. It’s a really grey film. “This film being a takeoff on “Swan Lake,” it does succumb to the temptation of exploiting the built-in rivalry between the white Swan Queen and the Black Swan.” (moviesonline.ca, 2011). The whole film is reflected by mirrors. Nina is seeing herself double in the mirror which means she is going to die.
Figure 3: Nina seeing herself in the mirror double
“This is a movie about fear of penetration, fear of your body, fear of being supplanted in the affections of a powerful man, love of perfection, love of dance, and perhaps most importantly of all, passionate and overwhelming hatred of your mother.” (Bradshaw, 2011). Minimum of special effects and snappy editing, combined with sound tricks and shocking images, down to the shards of glass imbedded in the flesh and the guts. The movie has amazing music. “The film is complex, dark, exhilarating and vibrant, with director Darren Aronofsky creating a vibrant, often intoxicating drama rich in music, mood and menace.” (Adams, 2011). Also the camera shots which the director uses by shooting behinds characters backs can make you feel trapped. “It’s looming, close-up camera movements, and its encircling conspiracy of evil, it looks more like Rosemary's Baby.” (Bradshaw, 2011). In the final act Nina struggles with her double, and shoves her into a mirror, shattering it. She grabs a shard of glass and stabs her double in the stomach. As Nina dances in the last moments of the ballet the White Swan falls from a cliff she sees her mother in the audience. When her dance is finished everybody is applauding and congratulating her. Lily realizes that Nina is wounded and she gasps in horror. Nina’s last words are: I felt it – I'm Perfect – It was perfect, as the screen fades to white, the audience chanting her name.
The film wants to show us the whole idea of being perfect and the cost. Also we can see from the film how ballet destroys your body.
Illustration List:
Figure 1: Black Swan (2010), Darren Aronofsky, Movie Poster
(Accessed on: 18/10/2011)
Figure 2: Black Swan (2010), Darren Aronofsky, Nina performing the Black Swan
(Accessed: 18/10/2011)
Figure 3: Black Swan (2010), Darren Aronofsky, Nina seeing herself double in the mirror
(Accessed: 18/10/2011)
Figure 4: Black Swan (2010), Darren Aronofsky, Nina last words
(Accessed: 18/10/2011)
Bibliography:
Peter,Bradshaw (2011) Black Swan (2010), Darren Aronofsky
(Accessed: 18/10/2011)
moviesonline.ca (2011) Black Swan (2010), Darren Aronofsky
(Accessed: 18/10/2011)
Mark,Adams (2011) Black Swan (2010) Darren Aronofsky
(Accessed: 18/10/2011)
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