BLACK SWAN (2010)

Country: U.S.A.

Genre(s): Drama

Director: Darren Aronofsky

Cast: Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Vincent Cassel

Plot

When ballerina Nina Sayers wins the lead role in “Swan Lake,” the overwhelming pressure to live up to the expectations takes its toll on her body and sanity.

What I Liked

This is a movie I enjoy more each time I watch it.  There's so much to appreciate here it's hard to get it all down in a few paragraphs.  We'll start with perfectly cast Natalie Portman, who gives disturbed dancer Nina all the complexity and pathos that any actor could ever possibly give to any role.  Her performance confirms her brilliance, adding depth to a movie that clearly would not have been as breathtaking as it is if she had not been a part of it.

The plot itself isn't a complex one, but the writers have thrown in enough of the weird and strange to keep the viewer guessing at what will happen next and what is real and what is delusion, as Portman's character simultaneously does the same.

Unlike so many films that over-saturate the eye with desensitizing effects, the special effects are used mainly to support the story and mood in “Black Swan.”  When special effects are obviously used they typically (though not always) add to either the creepiness, shock, or awe of the scene and are often both disturbing and gorgeous at the same time, which could be said of the movie overall.  Adding to the impact of the effects are the camera-work and music, which are both flawless and emotional without being overbearing.

What I Didn't Like:

*spoiler alert*

Director Darren Arrenofsky could certainly be accused being over the top here and with good reason.  While much of the main character's transformation happens psychologically, sometimes the effects are used to show this transformation.  While this often results in some of the film's most beautiful and devastating moments, one or two events feature effects that are simply too in-your-face and obvious.  The laughing paintings and the physical transformation of Portman's legs into a swan's legs as the film approaches its climax come to mind most.  While the former is a bit cliché the latter is so grotesque it's almost comedic.

            

These are of course blatant effects brought in for shock value.  Much of the film has subtler moods, textures, and meanings both in the plot and the production.  So it isn't that Arrenofsky is incapable of subtle craft.  I suppose he just felt a more obscene presentation was necessary at those parts where I felt it unnecessary and detrimental.

Most Memorable Scene:

*spoiler alert*

Yes, I'm sure you're expecting me to mention the most famous scene of the film, where the girl-on-girl sexual tension between Portman and Mila Kunis boils over.  And, I will say that was my favorite scene of the film, until the incredible final twenty-or-so minutes, which takes the movie into 'masterpiece' territory for me.

The acting, direction, music, and cinematography all come together in the film's final act, a mesmerizing movie climax if ever there was one.  As the main character's breakdown reaches it's crisis point and her personality undergoes a shattering break, she is forced on stage to perform in the most important moment of her career and the filmmakers pull out all the stops.  Portman is so effective she pulls the moviegoer with her as she is twirled, wrenched, raised, lowered, and completely transformed.

My Rating: 5 out 5