I know nothing of ballet. I don’t dislike it; it’s just that I’ve never been exposed to it – aside from the occasional performance of the Nutcracker around the holidays. I thought that may factor into my viewing of Black Swan, but if anything my lack of dance knowledge only heightened my experience.
Set around a New York ballet company and their stripped down production of Swan Lake, Black Swan introduces the audience to the aspiring Nina Sayers (Natalie Portman). Like many ballerinas, Nina’s life is engrossed by her passion and backed by her former dancer and overly protective mother. Day and night she spends perfecting her work in hopes of one day landing a leading role. To her surprise, that day hits her suddenly as she lands the part of both the White and Black Swan.
Landing the lead role means filling the shoes of former top ballerina Beth MacIntyre (Winona Ryder), putting even more pressure on her already demanding strive for perfection. Technically Nina is wonderful, but her director (Vincent Cassel) questions her passion. He pushes her to take on the same passion that newcomer Lily (Mila Kunis) has and eventually has Lily stand in during rehearsal as Nina struggles.
Lily befriends Nina, trying to loosen her up. While cautious at first, Nina eventually gives in and embraces her new relationship. With the pressure building on the night before her first performance, Nina goes out with Lily, against her mother’s wishes, on a drug-induced bender that leads Nina to question herself and her sanity.
Black Swan is a brilliant film. Aronofsky is quickly becoming one of Hollywood’s biggest names and for good reason. He has found a way to master the honesty of his film’s situations. He doesn’t go over the top just to get a reaction out of the audience (cough, cough, Eli Roth, cough), but instead creates a realistic portrayal that still manages to teeter on the line of movie magic. Not to mention that all of his films, this one included, are beautiful.
Directing and writing are always there in an Aronofsky film, but what is so impressive is how he manages to acquire amazing performances each time out.
Natalie Portman is stunning — not only her looks but with her overall acting demeanor. She demands the spotlight as Nina, and just like her onstage character, she always pulls you back in as soon as you feel like she’s losing you.
Vincent Cassel is, well, Vincent Cassel. He’s smooth, suave and at times, downright terrifying. He has to be the most intimidating man in ballet, fictional or otherwise.
The one performance that I was looking forward to going in was Mila Kunis. Seeing as her core of work has been in comedy — aside from American Psycho 2, but we’ll let that one slide — her casting in such a dramatic film had me curious. She really doesn’t disappoint though. She pulls off the character with ease, transitioning from sexy seductress to manipulative mastermind seamlessly.
Black Swan is not only the best psychological thriller I have seen in quite some time, but possibly the best I have ever seen. Besides the nonstop suspense, driven by a power score, the camerawork and pacing is a sight to behold. Like the goal of any ballet, Black Swan tries to create a breathtaking production that fully surrounds the audience. Not only does the film fully immerse the audience, but it proceeds to drown the audience in the same glorious way, ending with what is a most satisfying death.