Today we celebrate that cerebral mind bender that is Black Swan. A movie that racked up a bunch of awards and had a tone of its own to say the least. While we love dangerous women lets not get on the wrong side of a ballerina.
Black Swan 2010
What is it about? Nina (Portman) is a ballerina in a New York City ballet company whose life, like all those in her profession, is completely consumed with dance. She lives with her obsessive former ballerina mother Erica (Hershey) who exerts a suffocating control over her. When artistic director Thomas Leroy (Cassel) decides to replace prima ballerina Beth MacIntyre (Ryder) for the opening production of their new season, Swan Lake, Nina is his first choice. But Nina has competition: a new dancer, Lily (Kunis), who impresses Leroy as well. Swan Lake requires a dancer who can play both the White Swan with innocence and grace, and the Black Swan, who represents guile and sensuality. Nina fits the White Swan role perfectly but Lily is the personification of the Black Swan. As the two young dancers expand their rivalry into a twisted friendship, Nina begins to get more in touch with her dark side - a recklessness that threatens to destroy her.
Why I love it: First you must understand the genius of Darren Aronofsky and how his work influences the narrative. You know going into one of his movies that you are going to see something that tests your limits either visually or mentally, but always beautifully arresting. One of my all time favorite Aronofsky films is Requiem for a Dream and its stunning to this day. I love Black Swan for the quirky dark tone, but also for the dramatic overtures of the whole ballerina scene- really a world unto itself. Natalie Portman doesn’t so much act it as embodies it and while the story may suffocate from some of its own realities, it simply beats to its own fresh wicked dark themes.
