Black Swan and Perfection: A Movie Review

Director: Darren Aronofsky.

Writers: Mark Heyman, Andres Heinz, and John J. McLaughlin.

There is a reason that Black Swan is on many horror top ten lists for 2010 e.g. Fangoria.com and that is because director Darren Aronofsky (Requiem for a Dream) has composed a chilling delight with this feature of perfection. Released in theatres December 17th, the story of Black Swan follows creativity to its pinnacle. But here only gods dwell, and while Natalie Portman's (The Other Boleyn Girl) portrayal of Nina Sayers, a ballerina, is god-like the film both promotes the pursuit of art while offering a cautionary tale of self-destruction. When the final curtains come down, the applause will likely not only come from the screen, but from your fellow seatmate.

Black Swan touches on many themes; yet, centrally this is a story of one artist's soul-destroying pursuit of achievement. The pressures of such a goal mount. Sayers approaches her dream of performing the principal role in a ballet despite the distractions of an infantilizing mother (Barbara Hershey), a competitive, ambitious understudy (Milas Kunis), a demanding director (Vincent Cassel) and the universal distraction of sexuality. All of these threaten to bring her rising star down. Sayer's sacrifices ensure that the show goes on, for at least the opening night.

Of course, pressures can be too much for even the most disciplined and trained. Portman shows a woman psychologically breaking down, while directing techniques also show that Sayer's main obstacle to perfection is herself (not others). A flash of a knife wound here and a blood stain there would hint that Sayer's is a burgeoning murderess, but these are merely aggressive cravings of the Black Swan within her.

Staying in the psychological, Sayer's battles intrapsychically with the virgin - whore paradigm, which are not only confining sexual roles but challenging to decipher for one kept so innocent and emotionally immature. Her change from a girl into a blossoming young adult comes via a very bumpy and life changing ride. The repression of her desires for a ballet teacher ensures that these desires will be expressed in another way. Her visions of attacking creatures and figures are subconscious yearnings for sexual freedom. Yet, not all can survive the change from nestling to a bird of prey.

The pursuit of creativity is one that has reduced many to madness and Aronofsky keeps the audience guessing as to what is real and what is a figment of the imagination. However, the screen displays blood reds, disfigured bodies, and mutilated corpses, so whether the incident is real or not does not really matter. The reaction of shock is still the same.

90% thriller and 10% horror, Black Swan disturbs and jars all the way through its 108 minutes. A film that can achieve the uncomfortable is often of note and that is the case here. This is a must see for the big screen, as long as you can handle the coming visual madness.

Directing/camera techniques: 8.
Acting/believability/interpretation: 8.5.
Story/writing/message: 9.

Overall: 8.5 out of 10 (excellent).

Another review of this film is at the Chicago Sun Times (Roger Ebert):

Black Swan at the Chicago Sun Times

Another review at USA Today:

Black Swan Reviewed at USA Today

Black Swan #1 on Fangoria's Top Ten List of Horror Films for 2010:

Black Swan on Fangoria

This film's original music is here:




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Posted in: 2010,darren aronofsky,mark heyman,mila kunis,movie review,natalie portman,psychological thiller movie review,psychology