Recently, I went to see the much hyped-up and critically acclaimed "Black Swan." After all the excitement, I had a brief moment of trepidation, where I wondered; "What if it's not as good as everyone says? What if it's been built up so much by everyone, that it turns out to be an utter letdown?" Quite simply, it didn't. "Black Swan" is a magnificent exploration of not only what it takes to be "perfect," but also what can happen to the mental psyche when pushed way beyond it's capabilities. And who better to tell this 18-years-in-the-making tale than famed "Requiem for a Dream" director, Darren Aronofsky?
Our story revolves around Nina Sayers, (Natalie Portman) an innocent, but extremely dedicated dancer at the New York Ballet Company. Living with her protective mother in a small appartment, where her talent is nourished and her body looked after, Nina seems to have it made. Except she's 28 years old, her mother is a washed-up, over-protective, bitter ex-dancer and her pink, child's bedroom contains more stuffed animals than an episode of "Jamie's 30-minute meals."
At the company, the French director Thomas (Vincent Cassell) announces that a new, more erotically-charged version of "Swan Lake" is the next performance - except, instead of Beth, the company's prima ballerina (played by a fantastically-unhinged Winona Ryder) taking the lead role, it is now up for grabs. Pushed by her mother, and her own determination, Nina is soon battling for the role of the Swan Queen with all the other dancers. Whilst she is perfect for the role of the White Swan, a timid, innocent, virginial creature (shown beautifully by Portman's perfect, uptight moves and a constantly terrified expression), she is seriously lacking the natural eroticism and daring of her evil twin, the Black Swan. Threatened by the arrival of loose-moraled California girl Lily (in a scene-stealing turn from the stunning Mila Kunis), Nina is desperate for the role, begging the unconvinced Thomas for another chance - which he only gives her after an unexpected moment of passion convinces him of her hitherto unseen dark side.
Unfortunately, Nina is struggling. Repressed by her mother, and clearly upstaged by the far more sensual Lily, Nina finds it incredibly hard to break free from her "frigid" perfectionism. As told by her director; "The only thing standing in your way is you.... live a little." Unfortunately, having been brought up to a life of discipline and virtually no freedom, it soon becomes painfully obvious that Nina is seemingly the wrong choice - and Lily looks more likely to be the only dancer capable of playing both the Black Swan and her counterpart.
The film certainly contains its share of disturbing moments. However the sex scenes (involving a brilliantly steamy lesbian scene and a deeply uncomfortable masturbation scene) are FAR from gratutitous, and actually contribute to the plot, instead of just being thrown in for the shock factor, or to propel ballet-hating males into the cinema. As for the scary parts - there are certainly a few make-you-jump moments, but the film, if anything else, would definately fall under the "psychological thriller" genre.
The sheer terror on Nina's face as her carefully structured world breaks down around her speaks volumes (although there are some who will probably find her constant ragged panting slightly annoying), as does her - as it turns out, unjustified - jealousy of Lily. It should be noted that Kunis, in this role, is utterly amazing. Possibly the least likely ballerina ever, Lily is a fun-loving, cigarette-smoking, completely un-disciplined, lives-by-her-own-rules kind of girl, who seems to both horrify and fascinate the naeive Nina. Of course, there are the obvious differencs between the two - Lily munches cheeseburgers while Nina nibbles salads and refuses cake, Lily wears chunky bangles and tattoos while Nina wears fluffy scarves and very simple jewellery, Lily wears black while Nina wears pinks and whites..... need I go on? Aronofsky seems to go out of his way to emphasise the difference between the two, and boy, does he do a good job.
Vincent Cassell is fantastic as the dedicated and just-sleazy-enough director, who constantly preys on Nina - even attempting to use her sexuality to bring out her dark and passionate side. And a special mention should go to Nina's mother - played with scary precision by Barbara Hershey. An ex-ballerina herself, the mother seems to both egg her daughter on, whilst constantly willing her to fail. She may begin the film celebrating her daughter's success and looking out for her physical wellbeing, but it's not long before she's locking Nina in her bedroom on opening night, telling her she quit her ballet career to give birth (no bitterness there, then) and seeming to constantly get in Nina's way. She is the ultimate scary stage-mum, projecting onto her child, and pushing her way into every aspect of Nina's life. The many details are magnificent - her constant phone calls, her paintings, sleeping in Nina's room (in a very disturbing scene climax - so to speak) and the fact that every aspect of Nina's life (from her musical box to her mobile ringtone) has been centred around ballet.
As Nina falls further into a newly discovered world, where her psyche is severely affected by jealousy, frustration and a desire to "be perfect," she begins to stand up to her mother, fantasize about Lily...... and more besides. As she starts to break down, there seem to be physical manifestations - scratches on her back, bleeding fingers and toes, frighteningly bloodshot eyes, and a horrifying moment where her legs break in awkward places, as if belonging to a swan. It soon becomes apparent that Nina is cracking up, for want of a better expression - and while it's obvious to the audience that these things aren't really happening, it's still enough to make you wonder.
1) The rave/sex scene - The scene where Lily hands Nina a spiked drink, and takes her to a rave is brilliant. Shot entirely in flashing red and green (as opposed to the calm greys, blacks and whites of the last hour) to the outstanding strains of "Don't Think" by the Chemical Brothers, the scene is a dizzying, head-pounding 30 seconds of confusion, and subliminally-framed flashes of faces, much like.... well, being at a rave. The scene afterwards is wonderful - not only does a drunk and drugged-up Nina finally stand up to her mother (a moment that actually ellicited cheers in our cinema) but also the "lesbian scene" that follows is one of the most erotic ever. Portman and Kunis virtually sizzle, and the moment Lily's back tattoos joined in the show sure had everyone freaked out. Still, big, big props to the two leading ladies for not holding back.
2) The actual ballet - Credit where credit's due, the two stars of the film clearly know their stuff. Imagine my surprise then, upon learning that Portman had only had one year's ballet training as a child, and Kunis practically none. This isn't REMOTELY noticeable however, as they twirl and piroutte their way through the dance sequences, looking every inch the professionals. For a character such as Nina's too, who prides herself on being constantly perfect, Aronofsky could easily have chosen a professional for the role. But it is a testament to Portman's sheer determination and acting ability that she was not only able to convince us she was an adequate dancer, but the perfect choice for the role of Nina. And credit to Sarah Lane (Portman's professional stand-in) and the "company" dancers, who also do a cracking job.
3) Vincent Cassell. Effortlessly playing the suave-yet-sleazy director (who gives the impression of seducing ever young ingenue that crosses his stage), he does a fantastic job. Looking just pretentious (or prefrenchious) enough for the role, casually throwing out suggestions, assignments and questions that would earn him a smack round the face in anywhere other than the theatrical world, Cassell is quite simply amazing. And props to him for making the rehearsal scene both hide-behind-your-hands creepy and catch-your-breath sexy.
4) The special effects. As mentioned before, the physical manifestations of Nina's "inner" rebellions coming to the surface are nothing short of little swan-themed works of art. Bloodshot eyes, swan wings bursting out on stage, and tiny swarms of black feathers forcing up through Nina's skin to Clint Mansell's crashing orchestral music - what's not to like?? And not forgetting of course, the many deeply disturbing blink-and-you'll-miss-them effects visible in the constant mirrors and works of art on Erica's wall. Keep your eyes peeled for the shifting eyes in the painting - creepy as all hell.
**SPOILERS AHEAD!!!**
The final scene - after a certain horrific discovery, Nina still determinedly battles through and goes on stage. As that oh-so familiar music builds to a crescendo, we see her acting out the final scenes as her director told her to - but with an even higher significance. As she gazes torturedly towars her lover, her evil twin, and
her mother, and finally out at the audience with that heart-breaking, tearful face, showing a flash of her old self, haunted by the knowledge of what has happened and what she has become, my heart literally broke. I may have been the only person in the cinema, but I literally felt a tear brimming. In a very "Moulin Rouge!" kind of way, Nina lays there, staring at the stage lights and dying to the sound of the audience madly cheering - but happy in the knowledge that she was finally "perfect."
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