Review of Black Swan (2010) by Jordan W — 04 Sep 2017

In 2004, a comedy troupe made up of five guys called âBroken Lizardâ? released what I thought was an absurdly funny spoof of horror movie conventions called âClub Dread.â? A shape suddenly appears behind a character, and a loud music queue goes off making the audience jump, or a series of contrived twists turn the plot into Swiss cheeseâ"âClub Dreadâ? simultaneously mocked and embraced these kinds of traditions. Although as we can usually expect this protocol in most run-of-the-mill horror movies, never did I think that visionary director Darren Aronofsky would stoop to that level, and all but disregard the integrity and grit that he has layered into all of his previous films.

But I think I am getting ahead of myself. Aronofskyâ(TM)s new film âBlack Swanâ? centers on Nina Sayers (Natalie Portman), a ballet dancer who is technically proficient, but lacks the raw emotional element of the craft. She lives with her mother, Erica (Barbara Hershey), who once a dancer herself and now wants Nina to succeed farther than she ever could. Erica had to stop dancing after she got pregnant, and she now is the ultimate stage-mom, controlling every moment of her daughterâ(TM)s life and browbeating her when she questions her guidance.

Ninaâ(TM)s other instructor in life is the suave, challenging Thomas Leroy (Vincent Cassel.) He casts Nina in the duel role of the White and Black swans in his new âstripped-downâ? production of Tchaikovskyâ(TM)s âSwan Lake.â? Leroy tells her that she is perfect for the White Swan, but that in order to play the Black Swan to perfection, she must let go and feel the passion and the intensity.

Perfection is the key word here. Aronofsky has called his new film âa perfect companion pieceâ? to his previous film, âThe Wrestler,â? which, along with his previous three (âThe Fountain,â? âRequiem for a Dream,â? âPiâ?) also dealt with obsession and addiction. This time, Aronofsky tackles the obsession with perfection, and Portman is his puppet.

After a rival dancer (Mila Kunis) arrives and seems to be out to get her, Nina slowly begins to deteriorate mentally and physically, as she descends into a downward spiral that only Aronofsky could possibly have envisioned.

Portman has received much acclaim for what many film critics have called the performance of her career. I donâ(TM)t want to spoil what Aronofsky and crew have cooked up for a finale by talking too much about specifics in her performance, but in the final third, audiences can expect to discover a side of Portman that almost unrecognizable, as she seemingly goes to a dark and sinister place in her mind to become the duel role. Trained for almost a year to prepare for this role, and the hard work definitely shows. It is a stunning balancing act of technical and emotional skill, and she is superb.

Portmanâ(TM)s performance is complimented by some very good supporting work from the always-terrific Cassel, Barbara Hershey and Mila Kunis. Unfortunately, this is where the film becomes harder to discuss.

SPOILERS FOLLOW:

When talking about the characters and their intentions, the lines between reality and Ninaâ(TM)s imagination become so profusely blurred that I am left asking myself, âWho cares?â? I donâ(TM)t want to be asking that question, and I almost feel guilty considering how much I have admired Aronofskyâ(TM)s work in the pastâ"âThe Wrestlerâ? was one of the best films of the past decade. But this time around, he has ventured into horror movie territory and fumbled the raw passion that Nina herself actually does finally realize with her final transformation, a stunning visual effect and an image that still haunts my mind.

I understand that this movie is pure melodrama, and that the stakes are raised to the nth degree in order to achieve the grandest of finales. We are shown absurd images of Ninaâ(TM)s degenerating mental state, as her psychoses lead her to transform into the swan (an elongated neck here, bird legs there, black feathers all over), and it is a fascinating concept.

But the concept is immersed in heavy-handed symbolism and disconcertingly average âjump-scaresâ? and other horror conventions that have no place here. I have given a lot of thought to the ending, and have decided that it works better than I originally concluded. This movie most certainly deserves a second look, but right now I think that it is Aronofskyâ(TM)s weakest outing yet.

END SPOILERS:

The cinematography by Matthew Libatique (another Aronofsky regular) is also worth mentioning, as it is the most distracting and irritating work he has done. That is a mouthful, considering that he worked on the erratically filmed âRequiem for a Dreamâ? and âPi.â? He did not work on âThe Wrestler,â? but it seems as though he is trying to replicate that same style of following closely behind the main character wherever she goes. It is way too shaky this time around. I will say that the ballet scenes are wonderfully captured. Handheld cameras were used here to a greater advantage, so the dancers could be chased around as they flutter on and offstage, creating a wonderful flow of movement.

What works best in âBlack Swan,â? aside from the performances, is the wonderful use of Tchaikovskyâ(TM)s music, arranged and (I assume) remixed by the brilliant Clint Mansell, an Aronofsky regular whose work never fails to send chills up my spine. His music is like another character in the film, as it lives and breathes just like Nina does. Now if Aronofsky could have only managed to breathe a little more life into the film itself, it could have been a far more interesting film.