"Ready to be thrown to the wolves?"

Rating: 8/10 (9 October 2017)

Knowing only that this movie was about an aspiring ballerina vying for a role in "Swan Lake", I wasn't prepared for a largely dark tale about said ballerina's severe issues with inferiority and the self mutilation that came from the challenge of competition. That theme was further reinforced by the dancer she replaced, Beth Macintyre (Winona Ryder), who virtually committed suicide, even if she didn't die walking out into the middle of city traffic. What a mess these people were. At virtually all times, the picture is an intense psychological thriller that eventually descends into horror when Nina Sayers (Natalie Portman) succumbs to her delusions and her mind begins to slip away under the stress of performing. That she quite literally becomes the Black Swan of the title by committing suicide to achieve her career zenith makes for a stunning finale, and the cheers of the crowd may have just as well heralded Portman's Oscar Win for Best Actress among a respectable field at the 2011 Awards. For potential viewers, be aware of more than a share of shocking scenes, with one in particular approaching, if not actually achieving, a level of undisguised pornography.