Deflowering the repressed

Rating: 9/10 (13 December 2010)

Darren Aronofsky is no stranger to the psychological thriller, a sub- genre Black Swan fits in comfortably. Like Aronofsky's first film, Pi, Black Swan depicts an internal struggle between selves, the grappling for equilibrium, and the external manifestations of mental disintegration. However it is more dramatic and more transparent. No shock-value gimmicks here. The sufficiently clever viewer (not necessarily me) can vaguely project the trajectory of the film from early on. As "The Gentleman" and stage director, played by Vincent Cassel, says by way of describing Swan Lake: "Everybody knows the story..."
Nonetheless, Black Swan is far from predictable. Suffused with tension and suspense, Aronofsky massages fear and apportions violence and beauty in equal measure. Natalie Portman, apparently a life-long dancer, provides a stunning performance as actress and ballerina. She is enchanting and convincing: she seems like a real pro to amateur eyes. Similarly, Mila Kunis and the rest are stellar dancers and unendingly lovely. Cassel provides a subtle turn as the devious and brilliant theater director. Barbara Hershey and Winona Ryder's characters are tragic and forsaken souls with just the right amount of darkness, threat, and suffering.
There is a lot to Black Swan. It is symbolically rich and provides all kinds of food for thought for psychological analysis. It's also just good drama, with strong characterization and performances. To top it all off, the soundtrack, at turns pulsating menace and sweeping to salvation, and the claustrophobic, person-centered cinematography make the viewer feel the repression, passion, and fear at every turn. Aronofsky has shown that the psychological thriller is still fertile ground for imaginative, but accessible film-making.