The Weight of Perfection

Rating: 8/10 (26 December 2010)

What is a person's individual worth? How much of others do we incorporate into ourselves? Is significance indivisible from uniqueness? These are some of the questions explored in Black Swan, which presents the industry of ballet in a whole new light (or lack thereof), and brings into view the question of personal identity, especially in regard to the actor's relation to their role in any performance art.
The overarching plot is simplistic, centering on a ballet company's production of Swan Lake, but quickly hones in on the preparations of the newest lead, Nina Sayers, who goes from being another anonymous dancer to being the star of the show through her hitherto unrecognized talent. With the danger of spoiling too much, it's easier to explain the plot of Swan Lake, in which the two primary characters are the pure, virtuous White Swan and her evil doppelganger, the titular Black Swan, both played, out of necessity, by the same ballerina. Despite having the lead role, the presence of a kind (if unpolished) dancer named Lily threatens the previously virtuous/recessive Nina's first chance to shine through her more accurate portrayal of the Black Swan. Because of this, and her own perfectionist personality, Nina is forced to find the darker part of herself so that she may become the character completely.
For those who believe this is another tedious Cinderella story "chick flick," your ideas could not be farther from the truth, as the singularity of the film completely prohibits the application of the word "another." The filmmakers weave together atmospheric music, camera techniques, claustrophobic sets, and special effects to build up an omnipresent sense of anxiety that is impossible to dissipate. An ominous, often monotonous score combined with a constantly mobile camera sets the viewer into an uneasy baselessness, flawlessly putting them into the shoes of the anxiety-ridden protagonist, and making it nearly impossible to sever that which is real from that which is not. On one level a cautionary tale about the dangers of self-imposed pressure, Black Swan lives up to its categorization as a "thriller," the visual shocks making it anything but predictable.
A thought provoking drama with a near total absence of relief from tension, Black Swan is a film that is, though brilliantly executed, most un-enjoyable to watch, partially because of the frightening visual effects and partially because of psychological implications. While it's a common enough (however thoroughly avoided) thought that someday we will die and eventually be forgotten by the world, a reminder of our own replaceability is never so blatantly presented before us as it is before Nina in the film. Aronofsky's Black Swan shows that there's still a future in the movie industry, and that while perfection is often equated with purity, its true meaning could include the concept of completeness, equal ratios in a single phenomenon between both the White, and the Black.