Pure Melodrama.

Rating: 9/10 (9 January 2011)

Art. Perhaps the sole thing that keeps society rational.
Every day, usually without us realizing, creativity plays a consequential role in our existence. From formulating mathematics to preparing dinner, we must craft different forms of art in order to live. For many, however, art is taken a step further; used to mask insecurity. People devote themselves to their craft, striving to fill a hollow void in their hearts with the insurmountable satisfaction of perfection. These people – Painters, Writers, Architects – Suffer from progressively abraded heartbreak that has been concocted through personal trauma. Subsequently, these tortured souls try to alleviate the pain with artistic fulfillment. Like the typical craftsperson, they won't settle for the orthodox means achievement in their chosen discipline - Stopping at nothing until crossing into the utter and unadulterated realm of perfection. Throughout this journey, bones, bias and bonds are crushed, until the soul is peeled down to its most primitive state, vulnerable to the ghastly poison which lies deep within all of us, only striking when we are at our most weak; madness. Alas, only when this foul sensation grasps us tight in its ineluctable palm of torment and derangement, do we realize that our obsession was the thing that prevented us from reaching perfection in the first place; since, in reality, we were already perfect.
In Darren Aronofsky's slick and seductive melodrama, 'Black Swan', Nina Sayers (Natalie Portman) experiences this exact crisis. Clouded by the overprotectiveness of her Mother (Babara Hershey) and the pressures of being a professional ballerina, Nina crumbles as she is thrust into an existential odyssey of sex, murder and art when she takes on the lead role in Swan Lake and finds herself literally caught between the delicate White Swan, and her diabolical sister, the Black Swan, obsessing over artistic perfection under the wing of both. Along for ride is the enigmatic ballet director, Thomas (Vincent Cassel), and Nina's promiscuous understudy, Lily (Mila Kunis).
This is a brazen film; a sheerly theatrical spectacle of gorgeous visuals, delightfully outlandish performances and the occasional stint of psychedelia, with a beautiful allegory which delves deep into the abstruse and at times horrifying depths of artistry and passion that elevates it to the ranks of masterful. Although, a spellbinding performance from Natalie Portman is what beats at the heart of this story – A mere glint of aberration in her eyes was enough to light up the screen, let alone the raw emotion of some of her more dramatic scenes like the astounding confrontations between her and the also impressive Babara Hershey, her ecstasy fuelled sexual voyage with the ridiculously seductive Mila Kunis, and the breathtaking finale in which Nina's epiphany crests in one of the most powerful sequences of the year.
Furthermore, I'm delighted with Aronofsky's development as a filmmaker. He has officially cemented himself as one of the best contemporary auteurs with his unprecedented ability to interpret, mold, and above all, understand characters. He lets Nina's journey unfold in the most delicate of ways, letting the pictorial devices of the scenery and the ambiance of the brilliant score tell her story on an aesthetic scale, which ultimately works in impeccable harmony with Portman's personification. He, too, utilizes his natural cognition of art and its perplexity to give the narrative a decisively intimate feel from deep in his own complex, maybe also confound creative heart. As the final frames glitter upon screen, and Nina takes her climatic leap of faith, landing on the mattress with the sore realization that she was, in fact, perfect before she was consumed by the pursuit of immaculence – Through the haunting line "I was perfect" – The filmmaking makes you almost feel the tears of emotion streaming down Aronofsky's face as he, himself, beholds his character complete her final arc.
In short, it's all incredibly good cinema.
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