art

Rating: 9/10 (28 December 2010)

First things first: Aronofsky's directing in Black Swan reminded me of Polanski's "Rosemary's Baby". Certainly one could argue that this impression stems from the delusional nature of both female protagonists, but I would argue that it's the undertone that makes them similar.
Apart from this, perhaps coincidental, likeliness Black Swan raises the bar significantly. For it is not only a story of a person so much obsessed with their work that she would die to become perfect, it is an allegory of art itself.
Nina maintains her struggle throughout the entire movie. The discipline she shows in getting closer towards her goal ends with her being in frustration about getting further away from expectations, especially when she struggles the hardest. Only when she gives up her perfect self- containment she can experience her tormented self to the fullest.
Her nature is one of a solitaire. She stands alone, has no trust or feelings for anyone and all that counts is perfection in an imperfect world. For everybody else this is just a ballet piece after all. The Swan Lake - which becomes really clear in the end. To Nina this is war. A battle raging inside her, forcing her to battle elements she had hidden away, pretending, or even believing herself, that the life of the white swan is her choice in life.
The duality of nature displays in everything that surrounds us. Opposite pairs make up our entire life and we are never just one or the other. But oppression of one side may very well lead to the other side taking over for good. Chaos reigns and order retreats.
This movie is so much more than I expected and it gives me hope for future movies. Hope that movies can be more than entertainment and that they can touch upon the very foundation of what makes us human.
I can see why this is a movie that people, who want to believe just half of the truth will despise. There is no black and white in Black Swan, there is only black or white. This fine piece of art can be an allegory to everyone, who gives in to hatred and single-mindedness. Nina is not a heroine in the end. She is a victim to the injustice of artistic life, which demands everything and gives back only a glimpse of happiness. Looking around in the theater after the movie, I find this is more than most people can expect from life.
Bravo Darren Aronofsky! You showed that great talent is a work of the mind. While the audience will just applaud the performance, the artist will have experienced both sides of a truth most can never expect to see.