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March 9, 2011
Julia Koppman Norton & Zoe Flippenko, Skyline High
The movie chronicles Nina’s self-destructive journey to be capable of dancing the Black Swan.
Nina’s struggle is intensified with the arrival of Lily (Mila Kunis), another company member, who epitomizes the role of the Black Swan — wild, impulsive and free. Nina is equally threatened and enthralled by Lily. She is consumed by competing with Lily and fantasizing about a sexual relationship.
As Nina realizes how much the role takes, she becomes obsessed with perfection and develops a disturbing mental illness. She essentially turns into the Black Swan.
This psychological thriller was captivating, to say the least. However, rather than feeling moved or touched by the film, we felt deeply disturbed by the gory images of Nina’s delusional impulses and hallucinations.
Perhaps it was the film’s unique, realistic cinematography that gave it an especially creepy, thrilling vibe. Much of the movie’s action was filmed by a handheld camera following the characters. Often it felt like the camera was attached to Nina’s body, making audiences feel as if they were living her life.
Film director Darren Aronosky said that the cinematography in “Black Swan” was meant to make audiences feel “unsettled,” according to cinematography.com. He also said the point was to make an “ugly film,” one that didn’t feel comfortable but instead felt “real and visceral.”
Coupled with the eerie plot and psychological turmoil, this style of filming is especially effective in draining audiences emotionally.
Imperative to the film’s intriguing effect is Portman’s acting. It was phenomenal; regardless of whether or not we enjoyed the movie as a whole, it would be incredibly difficult to say that anyone else could have played the role better. She was believable and terrifying, embodying all of the aspects which the role necessitated.
It wasn’t clear exactly what the message was supposed to be — was the director implying that all dancers are insane and that all dance companies are catty, and fuel a dangerous amount of stress? Or that the pressure of performance is too high and therefore that those dynamics should be changed? One of us (Julia) is a dancer and this seemed too close to an attack on dancers in general.
While we felt bothered and disturbed by the thriller, Aronofsky surely did his job capturing our attention and making us think. Never before have we been so deeply intrigued and devastated by a movie.
Depending on one’s preferences (and ability to stomach disturbing, self- destructive acts), “Black Swan” could be seen as a masterful work of art. We, however, saw it as a weird and creepy representation of performers that was unnecessarily vivid and hauntingly memorable.
As controversial as “Black Swan” is, it is a refreshing break from typical, predictable Hollywood style movies. Be prepared to have your mind blown, but not necessarily in a positive way.
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