Black Swan (2011)

Directed by Darren Aronofsky

Starring: Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Vincent Cassel, Winona Ryder


Rating: 10/10



"Black Swan" by Darren Aronofsky is a great start for movies in the new year. Based around the theme of the classic ballet "The Black Swan", this movie is more than a depiction. The film actually centers around dancer/perfectionist Nina Sayers (Portman) and her road to getting the lead role in the play as the black/white swan. The pressure put on her is often overwhelming, which leads to a load of psychological problems all the way to the finale.

The character of Nina is by far the most interesting, as it should be. Her journey goes from working to get the lead role, receiving the role, and then perfecting the role. A ballet student for all her life following in her mother's "career," the opportunity to become truly noticed comes up and she takes it by storm. Coached by genius Thomas Leroy (Cassel), Nina has to force herself to be like someone she's not in playing the black swan. Nailing the role of the white swan with grace and vulnerability, she is forced to be reckless and powerful as the black swan. She slowly makes her way to becoming the role so much that it takes her over. From hallucinations to pure insanity she finds herself right where she started, being perfect.

Aside from Portman's stellar performance, Vincent Cassel is a key part of the film. I personally feel Cassel is really underrated in the roles he's been in. He has a powerful voice and a rugged accent that makes him seem like a big shot. Everything he does, no matter how inappropriate it may be at times, is to make this play a masterpiece. As a director he has to be admired and feared, making him an important factor to Nina's actions. Along with dancer Lily (Kunis), Nina's mind is brought to places she never imagined being in. Lily provides the part of being the ideal "black swan", providing jealousy that Leroy supports very well.

Kunis's performance surprised and impressed me as well. She plays a very demanding role as Nina's fantasy enemy. She is reckless and unique while at the same time being a pretty good dancer. Playing into Nina's hallucinations and real life, her tone is very convincing playing into both parts. Throughout the whole movie she was the only one who made me second guess what was actually going on in the movie.

Darren Aronofsky found a way to make me feel uncomfortable for almost the entire film. Definitely much darker than some of his latest films, the little things in "Black Swan" made me cringe. Blood was featured as a big part of the film, but it was never put in any gory feature. There was always just enough blood to get the point across and squint your eyes a little. The most uncomfortable scenes were the simple parts of clipping fingernails with a regular pair of scissors. The audible sound had me scared something terrible was coming very soon. These little things kept me attached and into the film more and more as it progressed.

"Black Swan" really makes you see how much pressure can be put on people at times. It can come from your friends, your boss, and most of the time the worst is the pressure you can put on yourself. This psychological thriller is one of Aronofsky's best, and I look forward to his future productions.