Black Swan

*Warning: This review will contain spoilers

In Black Swan, Darren Aronofsky produces a remarkable pas de deux to his previous offering, The Wrestler, juxtaposing one flawed protagonist's fall from stardom with another's ascent.

What’s the deal?

Nina (Natalie Portman) is a passive, infantalised but ambitious member of a New York corps de ballet, dominated by her single stage mother, Erica (Barbara Hershey). Opportunity knocks in the forcible retirement of the company's prima ballerina, Beth (Winona Ryder) as director Thomas (Vincent Cassel) relaunches the season with a new take on old favourite Swan Lake - complete with a new Swan Queen. While Nina has the technical precision for the role, she lacks the sensuality to portray the seductive Black Swan alter ego. Competition arrives in the form of earthy bad girl Lily (Mina Kunis), a rival transfer whose natural, raw sexiness directly contrasts Nina on-stage and in real life. As Nina attempts to explore her sexuality from within the clastrophobic structure of her world, reality and fantasy blur as she literally startes to unhinge.

It’s good!

It's simply incredible. What a film. Portman has proven herself dramatically enough by now, but her intensity is still a revelation. The supporting cast is strong and hold their own. I’ve always liked Mila Kunis and she is very good, but compared to Portman's nuances, the blatant bad girl is not a very hard role.

What’s wrong with you?

The Age recently criticized Aronofsky’s direction for being demented and over-controlled – to be honest, a perfect stylistic interpretation of Nina herself. They made comparisons with Haneke's The Piano Teacher; personally, I saw a less surreal Mulholland Drive. I guess the difference between Haneke and Lynch is that while both create a detached, voyeuristic and completely ambiguous experience for the viewer, Haneke shocks with his lack of emotionality in extreme violence while Lynch (to me) perfectly captures emotion through the visual experience. But I digress.

Neo-Maxi Zoom Dweeb-ery

The idea of homogenous identity is one bandied throughout the entire film. All the dancers look alike (even the aged Hershey) and are superficially interchangeable. In order to gain some of the charisma of her idol Beth, Nina steals from and later shares a dressing room with her. Similarly, a real-or-imagined liaison with the more adventurous Lily serves as Nina’s own sexual coming-of-age. Mirrors – integral to both the dancing world and as a cinematic device when dealing with self/personality – are always omnipresent, creating dualistic images of Nina/Lily and evoking a sense of the surreal.

Truth?

Practically perfect in every way - great direction, fabulous performances, tidy script. A definite must-see.

Bender Fist Pumps

4.5/5

#Psychological #Dance #Thriller