“The only person standing in your way is you.”This quote sums up the film “Black Swan” perfectly. Directed by Darron Aronofsky, the film explores the theme of dark versus light and the constant battle that is waged within Nina, the main character as she struggles to fulfill her role as the Swan Queen in “Swan Lake.”
We meet Nina, portrayed beautifully by Natalie Portman, a dedicated and innocent dancer who is hoping to win the role of Odette. We meet her coach, Thomas Leroy, who doesn’t believe that she can manage. While her White Swan is picture perfect, he believes that she is too controlled to play the White Swan’s passionate and lustful evil twin, the Black Swan.
He reluctantly hands her the role and begins to try to awaken her inner Black Swan by advancing on her sexually and encouraging her to make sex a part of her daily life. As Nina struggles to unleash her inner dark side, she starts to begin seeing things (for instance, catching her reflection moving on its own or glimpsing herself out of the corner of her eye as she walks down a dark hallway).
Around the same time, Lily, played artfully by Mila Kunis, shows up in the ballet studio. She is everything that Nina is not: passionate, sexy and confident.
As the story progresses, Nina’s visions become worse, and she becomes more and more wary of Lily, who seems to be after the role of the Swan Queen. Slowly, Nina begins to get in touch with her dark side, a side that her mother has been sheltering her from for many years.
When her mother senses that her “sweet girl” is no longer sweet, she begins to panic as she is losing her grip on the fragile daughter, through whom she lives vicariously.
While I can’t reveal any more about the story, it is full of artful twists ad turns. As the film progresses, you’ll begin to wonder what is real and what isn’t.
Mr. Aronofsky really hits home with this psychological thriller. While the battle between the Black Swan and the White Swan is the most important theme in the film, there is a second that is equally important: that of the search for perfection. Nina is constantly trying to be perfect, so much so that the search borders on a flaw. But it is a flaw that I think we can all identify with: the want and need to be “good enough.”
It is the set and costumes that, in my mind, steal the film. The use of mirrors is brilliant as they are used to portray the dark side of Nina on several occasions. The classic “Swan Lake” is beautifully and hauntingly re-envisioned with a stripped down, modern set and wonderfully elaborate costumes. All the while, however, you will notice that the characters’ clothing reveals their personality. For instance, Nina begins in whites and pinks and ends in dark grays and blacks.
In truth, this film is a trip. You can never be sure of what is real and what is not. Natalie Portman is fantastic in this film and perfectly believable. With gorgeous sets and a well-rounded cast, this movie is nothing short of a work of art; Mr. Aronofsky’s hard work has certainly paid off.
The film keeps you guessing and leaves you breathless, right up until the very last moments. But be forewarned: this movie will have you doing double takes, just to make sure that your reflection isn’t playing tricks on you.