Why Natalie Portman might win the Oscar

Rating: 8/10 (13 February 2011)

Have you heard of the 'Black Swan Theory'?! Coined by Nassim Nicholas Taleb, it refers to any unexpected or unpredictable event. Why so?! Everyone thought swans were supposed to be white until they saw the black one.
Darren Aronofsky's Black Swan is a true 'black swan' and Natalie Portman as Nina is his 'perfect' swan.
Nina, a dedicated ballerina, gets the role she always dreamed for. She gets selected to play the title cast of the twins in 'Swan Lake' much to the dismay of the one she replaces. She essays the role of the 'White Swan' twin character with ease, but the 'Black Swan' character pushes her beyond limits.
Leroy, the director of the ballet, is doubtful about Nina's portrayal of the evil swan that robs away the white swan's prince and causes its death in the end. "The truth is when I look at you all I see is the white swan. Yes you're beautiful, fearful, and fragile. Ideal casting. But the black swan? It's a hard f******* job to dance both," he says to her. Roy has a soft spot for Nina, which is why we see him both passionately seducing her like a 'Prince' and sternly pushing her towards the brinks to get the best out of her.
In the midst of the preparation for the role, we see Nina undergo many transformations. Aronofsky ensures the audience journey across her myriad emotions of guilt, pleasure and pain. So much so, the forced vicariousness feels both horrific and pleasurable at the same time. The role takes a toll of her thoughts too. She suspects Lily (her colleague) wanting to replace her. Lily's talent and carefree nature becomes quite a bother. She mirrors what Nina deepest desire carves. She reflects her weakness- her inability to transform into the 'black swan'. Symbolically, she always wears 'Black', in contract to Nina's white attire. Lily being declared Nina alternative to the roles just before the opening of 'Swan Lake' breaks her down.
The numerous bleeding motifs seem to signify Nina's transformation. She seems to have a bleeding on her back caused by repeated scratching. This causes her mother (also a yesteryear ballet dancer) to worry about her. Nina finds her attention unwarranted. She feels it is about time her mother let go of her.
Strangely, Nina's life starts mirroring the life of the 'Swans'-their joys, their desires and the pain. The pain and the guilt motivate her translation. Her performance on the opening night as both the betraying 'Black Swan'and the suffering 'White Swan' is simply magical and a fitting finale.
The protagonist is a caricature of both our nicety and the shades of grey humanness epitomizes. She strives for perfection, but perfection isn't enough. Acquaintance with her darker side and desires inspires her to perform at costs unimaginable.
Natalie Portman is strikingly beautiful. She is the perfect 'sweet girl'. Her ballet talent is absolutely fabulous and so well utilized by Aronofsky. She is a true intellectual artiste. What probably might have helped her prepare for this difficult role must be the Psychologist degree from Harvard.
Mila Kunis as Lily and Vincent Cassel as Roy are 'Idea casting'. So is Babara Hershey, who plays Nina's mother. The music is so in sync with the moods of the characters making the whole movie appear like a sort of ballet.
Darren Aronofsky has one more master piece to his credit. His signature shaking and wobbling camera has its desired disastrous effects. The movie is very similar to 'The Wrestler' but in a very artistic way. Both showcase the performing artiste's stark lives. I sincerely hoped, Mickey Rourke in the title role as 'The Wrestler' should have won the Oscar for the Best Actor in 2008. He didn't. I sure hope Natalie Portman gets it for the Best Actress. She deserves it. Amen. PS. Annette Bening (The Kid's are all right) and Nicole Kidman (Rabbit Hole) are close Oscar competitors, but well, Natalie as Nina will see them through.