Perfecting the Dance

Rating: 10/10 (29 December 2010)

One of the best films of 2010, and for that matter the past few years. "Black Swan" is dark, disturbing, and beautiful. It is a focused film about one of the most demanding art forms: ballet. The ballerina, especially the prima ballerina must be in the most fit of physical conditions, and because it also demands so much expressive emotion the mental state of the dancer must always be affected by the stress and rigorous preparations necessary for a bravura performance. All of this is so artfully conveyed by the director Darren Aronofsky it seems almost effortless.
The film conveys the physical ordeal the dancer goes through, and literally represents the mental transformation of the main character who is tasked with playing both the White and Black Swan in Tchaikovsky's masterpiece Swan Lake. Natalie Portman is mesmerizing as Nina. She is virtually on screen throughout the film, often shot from behind to emphasize the first- person nature of the story. Aronofsky could not have chosen a more appropriate actress to portray his Prima Ballerina in the making. In fact the casting in this film is impeccable all the way around. Even the small roles give us a sense of authenticity from the other chorus girls, to the instructors, and massage therapist. Barbara Hershey as the cloying mother, Mila Kunis in a breakout performance as the "other girl/swan", even Winona Ryder's minor role as the deposed ballet star stands out in this strong ensemble piece.
It is as if each of the primary women in the film are different representations of the same psyche, so it seems clear the director needed a strong troupe of actors capable of giving and playing with and off each other in ways that would keep the audience on edge and at ease with how the story would be told. Vincent Cassel portrays the proto-typical arrogant ballet director, and yet somehow seems understated in doing it. This is a gifted actor we should see more of, and the director did a magnificent job keeping the tensions right at the edge. He and the other men all seem to have designs on Nina, and just like the women in the film seem to meld into one another.
The film is about mirroring, performing, becoming. Much of the film is shot either from behind the actors, or through mirrors, so what we are seeing is always but a reflection of reality. We are never quite sure if what we see in "Black Swan" even happens. Even in the last shot we are left to wonder if what transpires is real, or imagined, but we are sure that what we have seen is the perfection of art.