Black Swan is one of my favourite movies.
It follows Nina, a sheltered ballerina who becomes obsessed with the role of the Black Swan and subsequently enters a deluded and terrifying reality.
The performances in this film are key to making it work. Natalie Portman gives one of my favourite performances of any actor. Nina is a complex character with a ton of ambiguity and development. Portman plays her masterfully. Mila Kunis is also brilliant as Nina's alternate Lily, bringing a playfulness and mystery to the role. Barbara Hershey, Vincent Cassel and a scene-stealing Winona Ryder are all fantastic as well. Naturally, the dancing doubles, regardless of how much they contributed to the film, are also fantastic (at least as far as this person who knows barely anything about ballet can tell).
The film is shot in a way that makes it feel claustrophobic, creating brilliant tension. This combines with dark lighting and shocking imagery to build a horrible landscape, beautifully reflecting Nina's mind.
The film is terrifying, though the scariest aspect of the film isn't always what we see, but the moment afterwards where we question whether what we saw actually happened. The story is full of hallucinations and misdirection, and yet never becomes annoying or incomprehensible. From start to finish, it is a beautiful and ugly tale of obsession and its physical and mental impacts. Many ballet dancers have said that this film doesn't fully reflect the experience of ballet and the reasons they pursue it which is unfortunate, though as someone who knows little about ballet, this doesn't affect my enjoyment or love of the film. Furthermore, Nina's story can easily apply to any sport or hobby: her obsession with success at the cost of her health and, ultimately, her own identity can happen to anyone.
The soundtrack is also great, though what else would you expect from Clint Mansell (and Tchaikovsky of course)? It beautifully combines the majestic Swan Lake with the uncertainty and building terror of Nina's story.
Overall, Black Swan is a masterpiece that I can certainly recommend.
The madness of obsession
Black Swan is one of my favourite movies. It follows Nina, a sheltered ballerina who becomes obsessed with the role of the Black Swan and subsequently enters a deluded and terrifying reality.
The performances in this film are key to making it work. Natalie Portman gives one of my favourite performances of any actor. Nina is a complex character with a ton of ambiguity and development. Portman plays her masterfully. Mila Kunis is also brilliant as Nina's alternate Lily, bringing a playfulness and mystery to the role. Barbara Hershey, Vincent Cassel and a scene-stealing Winona Ryder are all fantastic as well. Naturally, the dancing doubles, regardless of how much they contributed to the film, are also fantastic (at least as far as this person who knows barely anything about ballet can tell).
The film is shot in a way that makes it feel claustrophobic, creating brilliant tension. This combines with dark lighting and shocking imagery to build a horrible landscape, beautifully reflecting Nina's mind.
The film is terrifying, though the scariest aspect of the film isn't always what we see, but the moment afterwards where we question whether what we saw actually happened. The story is full of hallucinations and misdirection, and yet never becomes annoying or incomprehensible. From start to finish, it is a beautiful and ugly tale of obsession and its physical and mental impacts. Many ballet dancers have said that this film doesn't fully reflect the experience of ballet and the reasons they pursue it which is unfortunate, though as someone who knows little about ballet, this doesn't affect my enjoyment or love of the film. Furthermore, Nina's story can easily apply to any sport or hobby: her obsession with success at the cost of her health and, ultimately, her own identity can happen to anyone.
The soundtrack is also great, though what else would you expect from Clint Mansell (and Tchaikovsky of course)? It beautifully combines the majestic Swan Lake with the uncertainty and building terror of Nina's story.
Overall, Black Swan is a masterpiece that I can certainly recommend.