Film #20 Black Swan

The jump off point seems so simple. Choose a sport or art form not typically used in mainstream cinema, and use it as a backdrop for an all inspiring character piece. First with The Wrestler and now with Black Swan, Darren Aronofsky has made a double bill of films with physically demanding roles, and central characters so driven to succeed that their own determination and passion can only lead to one thing.

   That’s not to say Black Swan is just a ballet version of The Wrestler, far from it. Where that film was a tale of redemption and the physical ramifications of a life of self-abuse, this film focuses on the psychological torment that comes when the pressure to succeed is thrust upon you from all angles.

   Natalie Portman, in possibly the best role of her career, plays Nina Sayers. A ballet dancer who is picked to play the Swan Queen in her dance companies version of Swan Lake, replacing previous lead Beth (Winona Ryder). Nina thinks her grasp of the role is a tumultuous one. Her director Thomas Leroy (Vincent Cassel) tells her that her pleasant demeanour and flawless performance make her perfect for The White Swan. Unfortunately though, she does not have the sensuousness and passion that is vital in playing the Black Swan. It’s this criticism and the obvious abilities of her under study Lily that cause a deep paranoia and obsession based on her performance. Pretty soon reality and what Nina perceives are very hard for her to tell apart.  All the while she lives with her possessive mother, a failed dancer, who wants total control of her daughter’s life.

   Aronofsky’s gritty hand held style fits the subject matter like a glove. Every twisted hallucination Nina has is made all the more scary by the fact that it feels like we are in the room with her. The audience themselves are made to be just as deluded as she is about what is actually happening and what’s in her head. It’s this uncertainty and concern that make the film totally engrossing. The tension builds more and more as the scenes get more and more horrific and Nina’s psyche descends further until the films ultimate release at the end.

   Portman’s performance is mesmerising; the months of training involved will surely garner plenty of method credibility and awards. But the real skill is in the nuances. The early scenes of the film establish her meek and virginal childlike disposition which can mostly be attributed to her mother (Barbara Hershey). As the pressure from her director to connect with the Black Swan mounts higher she starts to connect with her sexuality for the first time as well as free herself from the emotional shackles that her mother has placed on her. Ironically though it’s this suspension of repression that adds to diminish Nina’s mental state, as she becomes more and more determined to succeed at any cost. 

This truely is blistering cinema, the kind of film that can be watched again and again and you could notice something new every time. Easily an early contender for one of the films of the year.

5/5