A Haunting, Multi-Layered Film

Rating: 10/10 (12 June 2012)

'Black Swan' is one of my all-time favorite films. The bold, brilliant, uncompromising style of Darren Aronofsky's direction shines through, with its mind-turning theatrics and psychoanalytical narrative. It's certainly not a film for everyone, as displayed by the polarizing reviews on this site. But, I find the reason that most people dislike the movie is because of its ambiguity and its refusal to give the audience clear answers. People who prefer simplicity, as well as more light-hearted fare, will finish this film feeling cheated. However, for those who can fully appreciate the intellectual and psychological aspects of the subject matter will find 'Black Swan' a treat that gets increasingly richer upon each viewing.
On the surface, the film is about the struggle of Nina (Natalie Portman) to play the dual role of the Swan Queen successfully, while also dealing with outside pressures from her manipulative director (Vincent Cassel), smothering mother (Barbara Hershey) and her mysterious new friend/possible rival (Mila Kunis). During this struggle, she seems to simply lose her mind and all touch with reality.
However, the film can be taken on many different levels: as a study of mental illness, a modern retelling of Swan Lake, a piece on the struggles and triumphs of being a performer, a cautionary tale of perfectionism, or a Jungian-flavored story about the importance of integrating one's 'shadow side'. 'Black Swan', no matter how many times you watch it, remains refreshingly open to interpretation. There is always some subtle detail or some piece of symbolism that was once undiscovered and that allows you to see the film with new eyes. When a filmmaker can achieve this, especially in this terribly predictable age of cinema, it's worth an enormous amount of respect and admiration.
The cast is uniformly excellent. Natalie Portman is, of course, phenomenal in her performance as Nina. Nina's inner conflicts are what arguably drive the story and Portman drives that point home, exuding an intense combination of nervous energy, insecurity, and a dormant volatility waiting to be awakened. She completely deserved her Academy Award, without question.
Mila Kunis is a dynamic force as Lily, giving dimension into the 'wild child' role that could've easily become a stereotype. Her character is the most enigmatic, due to Nina's distorted perception of her. Kunis plays with this ambiguity brilliantly, packing her performance with so much nuance and contradiction that it's possible to see a different Lily each time you watch it, depending on how you look at her.
Vincent Cassel is also pitch-perfect as Thomas, a role that could've also become caricature. But, instead of chewing the scenery, he gives us just the right amount of sliminess. Barbara Hershey is captivating and downright creepy at times as Erica, Nina's controlling mother, and Winona Ryder has a small but powerful role as aging ballerina Beth.
Beautifully shot by Matthew Libatique and with a haunting score by Clint Mansell (which is a modern and demented twist on the original score by Tchiavosky), 'Black Swan' is the kind of film that stays with you for days after.