Black Swan (Darren Aronofsky, 2010): USA

Reviewed by Kathleen Amboy.  Viewed at the Riviera, Santa Barbara, CA.

When Nina Sayers (Natalie Portman) is chosen for the leading role in a major production of Swan Lake, she spirals out of control in a fit of psychosis and becomes haunted by her dual character the  Black Swan.

In achieving this position, Nina replaces former prima ballerina Beth MacIntyre (Winona Ryder), who is forced into retirement by the production director Thomas Leroy (Vincent Cassel).

Leroy has a darker vision of Swan Lake and chooses Nina for the perfect White Swan, due to her stoic and repressed persona, but questions her ability to portray the seductive Black Swan.

Nina tries in vain to please Leroy, even to the point of displeasing her controlling mother Erica (Barbara Hershey).  She has moments of confusion that progress to near schizophrenia as opening night draws near.  Inflicting pain on herself, indulging in horrifying images, and succumbing to a split personality are all part of her psychosis.

Her rival is Lily (Mila Kunis), a highly accomplished dancer in the company who causes insecurity and jealousy within Nina, until Lily invites her out for a night of partying.  In opposition to her rigorous training, Nina indulges in alcoholic beverages laced with drugs and finds herself making out with a stranger, and before the night is over she’s seduced by Lily.  The next day Nina discovers Lily has been appointed her understudy and their tryst was nothing more than a hallucination.

The closest way to describe the plot is The Red Shoes meets Basic Instinct – not quite the caliber of The Red Shoes and more psychotic than Basic Instinct.  There are hints at what causes Nina’s psychosis but nothing completely valid.  We see a touch of Leroy’s brutishness, a dash of Erica’s dominance, and a sprinkle of Lily’s cruelty but nothing solid enough to push Nina over the edge, and because of this we need a little more of her background which is nil – we are dropped into the middle of a story without any validation, and for this reason it misses the mark.  Without divulging the ending it gets pretty drastic, and in order to balance this, something more than the nagging of an over-protective mother is required.

The cinematography is edgy – as the camera pirouettes through Nina’s POV, we get a glimpse of her perspective as her life spins out of control.  There are also nifty little tricks like a tattoo and a group of images that come to life.  The set design is visually stunning, with the staging and costumes in black while Nina  is in white, imitating the White Swan, which then reverses once she relinquishes her psyche to the Black Swan.

Good acting all around and Nina is Portman’s strongest role to date.  Her vocal range however, is often flat and sometimes monotone which is too reminiscent of Queen Amidala.  Unfortunately, Winona Ryder once again portrays Winona Ryder, and is completely miscast.  She plays pouty face, pouty lips, pouty gestures, with a pouty one-dimensional, flat acting and monotone vocal range.

What surprises me most is the MPAA rating.  Blue Valentine was issued an NC-17 rating which showed the demise of a marriage mentally, emotionally, and sexually.  Black Swan depicts illicit sexual contact with a stranger, illicit use of drugs, and physical self-destruction, yet was issued an R rating – call me square, but I’m also confused (?)

About this entry

You’re currently reading “Black Swan (Darren Aronofsky, 2010): USA,” an entry on Student Film Reviews

Published:
12.22.10 / 9am
Category:
Films