Just a brief glance at that striking image of Natalie Portman on the poster lets you know that 'Black Swan' is a film about appearances. Or rather, it is a film about the deceptive nature of appearances. Darren Aronofsky (of 'The Wrestler' fame), uses the simple setting of a ballet perfomance of Swan Lake to mask a story that is filled with falsehood and doubt. White Swan vs Black Swan. Good vs Evil. Reality vs Fantasy. Shall we follow him down the rabbit hole?
You bet we will. Because once you allow yourself to be captivated by this psychological and magestic thriller, there is no turning back. Aronofsky has clearly done his homework when it comes to ballet. The choreography during the dance scenes (of which there are many) are a lesson in beauty. This is crucially important to the film as it gives it a sense of realism. Make no mistake, ballet is at the forefront of 'Black Swan'. The story follows our protagonist Nina Sayers (Portman), as she deals with the pressures of being offered the lead role in a new performance of Swan Lake. Cast as the Swan Queen, Nina faces her hardest challenge yet. Finding the passion needed to perform both in her comfort zone (as the White Swan) and most importantly, out of it (as the Black Swan).
Themes of acceptance and letting go of reality are identified early on in the story. Nina's director Thomas Leroy (the brilliant Vincent Cassel) is an overbearing force who believes Nina lacks emotion (indeed, referring to her as frigid at one point). Once this simple idea is planted, Nina starts to spiral out of control. This begins with the arrival of fellow ballet dancer Lily (Mila Kunis), who is also eager for the attentions of Thomas. As Nina becomes more involved with her performance, she loses her grasp on reality. And that's all I wish to tell you about the plot. As with any psychological thriller, it's important that the audience are kept guessing right until the end. What is real and what is simply in Nina's mind?
Aronofsky portrays the story almost like a ballet piece in itself. The soundtrack that plays pretty much throughout, is a heady and dreamy mix of compositions designed to create this sense of detachment. Intense scenes are built up through music and at times you feel like Swan Lake is unfolding before your very eyes. And like ballet, 'Black Swan' is an emotional rollercoaster. Not least because of the sublime performance that Portman gives. She conveys beauty in ithe most fragile way and her loss of innocence is both tragic and difficult to watch. Sexuality is a central theme in 'Black Swan'. Nina is forced to explore her lack of sexuality in order to find the passion needed for her performance, and also to free herself from the confines of her mother (Barbara Hershey).
Cassel is excellent as always and Kunis, although given less time onscreen than she deserves, is a powerful presence throughout the movie. One or two of the more sexual scenes felt a bit too graphic and out of place for a film that is so concerned with beauty. But perhaps this extremity was necessary to give us an insight into just how fragmented Nina's mind becomes. While 'Black Swan' doesn't quite reach the towering heights of Aronofsky's last movie 'The Wrestler' (and let's face it, few can), it does make for an emotional feast of a film. It will be a travesty if Portman doesn't win Best Actress at the Academy Awards this year. I've never been so captivated by the beauty and elegance of a leading lady onscreen before. When 'Black Swan' hits cinema, I urge you to go along and suspend all preconceptions. Aronofsky, I think I'll stay down this rabbit hole with you for a bit longer thanks.
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