Black Swan

A psycho thriller that keeps you intrigued and provokes your contemplation. This is ‘’Black Swan’’, the new thriller of Darren Aronofsky. I have not expected so many thrilling moments in this movie and thought that it should a movie that presents somebody’s dream to accomplish a successful career as a ballet dancer. Just to the contrary, the movie features so many thrilling moments and unexpected situations that indeed it’s much more a thriller that a drama. The stars of his controversial thriller are Natalie Portman, Vincent Cassel, Mila Kunis and Winona Ryder.

Nina /Natalie Portman/ is a featured dancer in the New York City Ballet. Nina has much experience, but she lacks personality that helps her reveal her talent and extend it far beyond the usual steps and techniques in ballet dancing. The ballet school prepares the production of Swan Lake and many ballet dancers compete with each other in order to play the role of the Black Swan. Nina Sayers /Natalie Portman/ is determined to win the role and play both the White and Black Swan. Actually, as you may assume, Natalie is too kind, so it’s a tough task to depict the role of the dominating Black Swan. Nina seems an ordinary girl, but the spectator soon finds out that she has some person issues due to her caring, but too intrusive mother Erica, a failed dancer who does anything, but taking control over Nina’s life.
The director of the New York City Ballet, Thomas Leroy, believes that Nina ideally suits the role of the White Swan, but she lacks the dark passion of the sensual Black Swan. After Nina manages to impress Thomas with a bite on the lips instead of a kiss, he decides to cast her in the lead.
It seems an ordinary story, isn’t it? This was what I thought until some strange scars appeared on Nina’s shoulders and she started suffering from bizarre hallucinations. Here I should admit that I was puzzled and couldn’t understand whether a specific action is a reality or just a result of her mental disorders. Nina’s problems become even deeper, because she thinks that the newcomer Lily tries to take her role. Thomas apparently criticizes the play of Nina and she becomes even more concerned with the situation. Nina goes out one night with Lily and she takes some MDMA. Even though Nina is reluctant to swallow them with a drink, she asks for more and she becomes dizzy. After their night out, they return to Nina’s apartment where they have sex. Being late for the next day’s rehearsal, Nina finds Lily taking her role.
Just one night before the official opening, Nina gets tired of rehearsals and her hallucinations seem to prevail over her sanity. While examining the rash on her shoulder, she sees that little black barbs which have poked through her skin. Nina pulls one of the barbs from her skin and it appears to be a black feather. Nina finds out that she is the swan.
At the night of the performance, Nina is locked by her mom who called the company and informed them that Nina is sick and won’t be able to perform. After violently forcing her mother to let her leave, Nina arrives at the theater and immediately prepares herself for the role of the good White Swan. The first act is a disaster and it seems that Nina cannot control herself. She returns to her dressing room and finds Lily, dressed in her Black Swan costume. Nina kills Lily with pieces of a broken full-length mirror. Being encouraged by what she has done, Nina returns to the stage and plays the the Black Swan passionately and sensually.
After Nina returns to her dressing room, she has been staring at the mirror until she is interrupted by a knock at her door: Lily comes to congratulate her. The murder of Lily was a part of Nina’s hallucination that apparently stabbed herself, not Lily.
Nina dances passionately in the final act and in the finale of the ballet she falls from the stage onto a mattress behind it. She is covered with blood in front of the whole audience. Thomas asked what she did to herself, but she whispers ‘’I was perfect’’.
What would you do in order find the perfection?
I was impressed with the colours of the movie as black and white dominated, the brilliant play of all actors and all these thrilling moments that provoke your consideration. The music is in perfect compliance with the plot and thus it makes you expect every following moment. I think that too many mirrors were used in the movie, so their obvious presence is much more than coincidence. A mirror that reflects your own fears and dreams, as well as a dark tunnel which leads you to the world of self-knowledge are the perfect complement to this amazing thriller.