Intriguing but a little over-hyped

Rating: 8/10 (25 November 2011)

My lateness in watching Black Swan is due to two things; a) a tendency to stay away from anything that garners so much hype and b) an uncertainty about Darren Aronofsky's direction in previous work. This turns out to be a film that everyone should see once without a doubt, if only to see the excellent case study of the doppelgänger.
While Portman is commendable, it is easy to see how the film could anger those in the dancing profession. With so much media attention paid to the fact that Portman trained for several months to perform the dancing segments, the film is still very much an actresses movie as opposed to a dancer's one. This is inevitably Aronofsky's goal as Portman's character Nina, a perfectionist and ballet obsessed young woman, is ultimately performing her way through life right from the beginning.
Without ruining it for anyone who has yet to see it, the basic story surrounds Nina living with her mother (Barbara Hershey) in New York where she is attempting to become the Swan Queen in a new production of Swan Lake. The role is problematic as Nina only knows how to embody the innocent character of the White Swan. To become the Queen she must also embrace the sensuality and danger of the Black Swan, a point that her dance instructor Thomas (Vincent Cassel) fervently points out. Whilst practicing routines at home, it becomes evident that Nina is dangerously unbalanced mentally as she appears trapped between a dream that her mother once had (and gave up when she became pregnant with Nina) and her own insecurities, including a disposition towards self-harm. Interestingly, the scenes involving Nina's mother reveal a lot about how the two have lived together, especially since the viewer is given no background information on the characters. The mother's demonstrative and combatant attitude provides a rocky foundation for Nina and her desire to see her daughter accomplish what was not to be for her, only adds to Nina's self-destruction.
Portman plays the self-conscious but talented dancer very well and her performance is echoed by strong supporting actors. Vincent Cassel provides an excellently creepy performance as the dance instructor whilst Mila Kunis' Lily is a perfect foil for Nina's perfectionist qualities. Also featuring in the film, albeit briefly, is Winona Ryder as Beth MacIntyre. Ryder's understated appearance as Beth, or the Dying Swan, (the former principal dancer in Thomas' ballet whom Nina is replacing), is remarkable for its effect upon the story. Although she is not largely present in most scenes, her descent from popularity begins to mirror Nina's loneliness and descent into madness, quite early on. Thus, Beth functions as a forewarning of Nina's peril and ultimate mental unraveling.
A friend pointed out the significance of mirrors in Black Swan and without watching for them, it is noticeable how there is a mirror of some description in almost every scene. This attention to detail is one of the fabulous things about Aronofsky and is present in all his work and in this film, it is what keeps the theme of the doppelgänger present throughout. Nina's distrust of everyone around her is shown through reflections of evil imagery and characters, which relays the fragmented state of her mind. Towards the end of the film she constantly sees reflections of herself as the Black Swan, a twisted and disturbed version of herself that is beginning to emerge from her innocent exterior.
Throughout the film, Thomas tells Nina that in order to portray the Black Swan she must lose herself in the role rather than be so structured and concerned with perfection. Consequently, Nina does lose herself in the role and in her first and only full performance of the ballet on stage, her transformation into the Black Swan becomes a form of self-immolation. Anyone who is aware of the myth of the Black Swan will see where the film is going as soon as it starts, but it is definitely worth the watch. Overall, there are some subtle surprises that keep it interesting and some unsettling moments that are very well captured. Definitely makes an impression. Black Swan gets a thumbs up!
All Rights Reserved © Copyright 2011 Michelle Lacey (Michelle Ní Láitheása).