A Dark Tale of the Pursuit of Perfection

Rating: 9/10 (25 May 2011)

What is the cost of perfection? This is a question many of us ask and, yet, do not have an answer for. Black Swan attempts to answer this question for us. A mystery-suspense-thriller of a movie, Black Swan is a beautifully dark movie about the torment of a ballerina named Nina, played by Natalie Portman. Constantly being pulled in different directions by the people around her, Nina's entire reason for being is the pursuit of perfection. She has toiled for 4 years to be named the Swan Queen, in the ballet Swan Lake, and her obsessive pursuit of this title will not go without consequence. As the line between character and reality is slowly blurred, Nina finds herself transforming from the White Swan into the Black Swan, and all that comes from this title.
Director Darren Aronofsky masterfully uses light, music, and dance to create world that is realistic enough that the audience feels apart of it. Through the use of Point of View camera angles, we are brought into the mind of Nina. The contrast between the Black Swan and the White Swan is striking, and Natalie Portman pulled this off beautifully. The co-stars are virtually dance partners in this movie; moving, supporting, and flowing with the brilliance that is Portman's performance.
The battle between light and darkness lies in the center of this movie. The use of ballet as a medium for this battle is outstanding as it allows pride, perfection, and manipulation to be the catalyst of change in Nina. Ballet is a trade that takes years of dedication to attain success in. The goal of every ballerina: perfection. Nina finds out that she must give her all in order to attain perfection.