Black Swan

So I was fortunate enough this weekend to see Black Swan with some friends. Unfortunately the film is not getting a good release so we trekked an hour down to Silver Spring, MD to check it out. I am so happy we did. Black Swan is an awesome film that knows where it is both from a storyteller’s perspective and from an artistic aspect. Darren Aronofsky (Pi, Requiem For A Dream, The Wrestler) helms the film with a style that is all his own.  The movie is shot very fast paced and contains some great visual imagery as well as superb acting.

Natalie Portman stars as Nina Sayers, an up and coming ballerina who gets offered the role of a lifetime as lead in the new reimagining of Swan Lake.  As the movie progresses you find that underneath her perfect exterior Nina has a lot of issues, anorexia, self mutilation, and poor self esteem to name a few. Most of these seem to be a by-product of her overbearing mother who seems to constantly judge her and treats her like she is fifteen. Problems begin to arise when Nina must channel the metamorphoses of both the black and white swans for the ballet. Mila Kunis co-stars as Lily, a new face to the troop that excels in the areas where Nina lacks. Naturally, this instills fear in Nina that her spot in the play is going to be taken. Nina starts down a slippery slope of paranoia and delusion that leads to terrible consequences.

Now that that is out of the way I can talk about the fun stuff. Natalie Portman kills in this movie! Her acting is some of her best to date. Fun fact: She lost 20 pounds and dislocated a rib for this film. Her portrayal is down right method and she really sells the duality of her role in the film. (If you would like to know more check out the spoilers area) The film itself is also a little deceiving but I do not believe it was intentional. Due to it’s small release there weren’t many trailers for it, thus people are going in to this movie believing it will be primarily focusing on the ballet itself, whereas the ballet itself serves more as a backdrop to the main story. 

I would just like to take a minute to note that at the time of one of the changeups the projectionist forgot to changeover our reels (This is what they were talking about in Fight Club during the ‘cigarette burns’ scene) and there was a spin out. It was awesome! That is one of those things I love that happens at a real theater. Most people would find it annoying or downright aggravating and it would be if it happened every time, but the truth is it is soo rare that most people have never even seen it once. I am happy to report that this was my third time that I can remember. (The other two being Spiderman 2 and Total recall) I believe there is at least one other instance that I have encountered this but I cannot make a specific connection. Anyway, I totally nerded out in the theater over that.

The only thing I disliked about the movie, and this isn’t a huge thing but it was jarring none the less, in the beginning when Nina is walking to the theater the camera work is super shaky, you have to feel every step of the damn cameraman. I know people like the shaky camera style but this seemed to be overkill. Luckily it only lasted for a little bit (seemingly abandoned after they looked at the dailies maybe?) and it turns up for a scene toward the middle of the movie. That aside the movie was shot really well. During the final scene of the movie the black swan’s dance was freaking awesome. I am not a ballet fan but I was thinking “Damn, that was cool.”

My Weird Rating System

   *********/**********

 9/10
3 Stars: Superb Acting
2 Stars: Great Story
2 Stars: Amazing Production Design
2 Star: Great Visuals

SPOILER AREA!

The genius of Black Swan is pure elegance in its simplicity. When the director of the ballet, Thomas Leroy (played by Vincent Cassel) proposes his plan to reinvent Swan Lake, by having the white and black swan played by the same person he is not only talking about the ballet. He is also foreshadowing the movie as a whole. Nina starts out as an allegory for the white swan, virginal, proper, and a perfectionist, but as the movie progresses and Nina’s descent into madness takes a more drastic turn we see how the black swan’s, charismatic, enigmatic, and sensual personality comes forth and begins dictating her actions more and more until finally she is able to fully grasp both roles but by that point there is no chance for redemption.  Watching Natalie go back and forth between her two roles was great and she really did an awesome job.