Darren Aronofsky is a very talented director that makes very twisted yet brilliant films. I love Requiem for a Dream and Mother a lot but Black Swan may be his best film as of yet.
Black Swan follows Nina, a ballerina wanting to win the main role in Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake. She has to play the role of the White Swan, which she fits perfectly, and the Black Swan, a role essayed perfectly by her rival Lily. The pressure builds as she competes for the part leading to her descent into madness.
Everything about this film was phenomenal. As expected from Darren Aronofsky, Black Swan retains a similar style of filmmaking and themes he's been tackling over the course of his other films. Aronofsky's direction is perfect in every way. The level of detail in the shots and symbolism to convey the deterioration in Nina's sanity is simply astounding. I love the way he used black and white in the film to differentiate between characters and their traits. The way he blurred the line between the two colours as the film got increasingly tense and dark was excellently done. There's so much detail from the set design, costumes and Natalie Portman's performance that gets us to grips with Nina's innocent personality. The gradual downfall of her character into madness and obsession felt so organic. Aronofsky is able to build tension so well and it's due to the unpredictable nature of the film. We get a sense of what each character is like but enough room is left in their character to the point where we don't know their true intentions and motivations. The element of mystery surrounding the supporting roles contribute so much to the suspense and darkness that engulfs the film as it goes on.
Another key element to Black Swan is mirrors. There are mirrors all around this film that not only convey themes of self-reflection but also captures Nina's losing grip of reality. Aronfosky stages the camera in perfect positions that bring out the more horror elements and the frequency at which they appear later on the film confuses the audience on what's real and what's not. The ambiguity of those scenes perfectly illustrate Nina's developing psychosis and helps the audience relate to her character more as we're experiencing it with her. The visuals are really something to behold as all of it feels very purposeful and is executed very well. The slick editing and score are contributing factors to all of this. The score is beautiful yet eerie and builds towards the insanity, especially during the riveting finale. The film moves at a great pace, never losing steam and keeping the audience transfixed onto its intense imagery.
Natalie Portman gives a career best performance here as Nina. She gives this role her all and is mesmerising to watch. The childish voice she has in the film fits in so well with the innocence of her character and the way she portrays the transformation of Nina is brilliant in every way. She swept the awards scene with this performance and I cannot complain. Vincent Cassel is also amazing as the director of the company and shares some great scenes with Portman. Someone who really surprised me was Mila Kunis. Casting her as the naughty and Nina's opposite, Lily, was a great choice. She suits the role very well and gives the best performance of her career. Another excellent performer is Barbara Hershey as Nina's overbearing mother and Winona Ryder also does a great job.
Black Swan is an exquisite and disturbing character study that had me on edge from start to finish. From Natalie Portman's incredible performance to Darren Aronofsky's insane direction, Black Swan is a film that definitely deserves a watch.
Black Swan follows Nina, a ballerina wanting to win the main role in Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake. She has to play the role of the White Swan, which she fits perfectly, and the Black Swan, a role essayed perfectly by her rival Lily. The pressure builds as she competes for the part leading to her descent into madness.
Everything about this film was phenomenal. As expected from Darren Aronofsky, Black Swan retains a similar style of filmmaking and themes he's been tackling over the course of his other films. Aronofsky's direction is perfect in every way. The level of detail in the shots and symbolism to convey the deterioration in Nina's sanity is simply astounding. I love the way he used black and white in the film to differentiate between characters and their traits. The way he blurred the line between the two colours as the film got increasingly tense and dark was excellently done. There's so much detail from the set design, costumes and Natalie Portman's performance that gets us to grips with Nina's innocent personality. The gradual downfall of her character into madness and obsession felt so organic. Aronofsky is able to build tension so well and it's due to the unpredictable nature of the film. We get a sense of what each character is like but enough room is left in their character to the point where we don't know their true intentions and motivations. The element of mystery surrounding the supporting roles contribute so much to the suspense and darkness that engulfs the film as it goes on.
Another key element to Black Swan is mirrors. There are mirrors all around this film that not only convey themes of self-reflection but also captures Nina's losing grip of reality. Aronfosky stages the camera in perfect positions that bring out the more horror elements and the frequency at which they appear later on the film confuses the audience on what's real and what's not. The ambiguity of those scenes perfectly illustrate Nina's developing psychosis and helps the audience relate to her character more as we're experiencing it with her. The visuals are really something to behold as all of it feels very purposeful and is executed very well. The slick editing and score are contributing factors to all of this. The score is beautiful yet eerie and builds towards the insanity, especially during the riveting finale. The film moves at a great pace, never losing steam and keeping the audience transfixed onto its intense imagery.
Natalie Portman gives a career best performance here as Nina. She gives this role her all and is mesmerising to watch. The childish voice she has in the film fits in so well with the innocence of her character and the way she portrays the transformation of Nina is brilliant in every way. She swept the awards scene with this performance and I cannot complain. Vincent Cassel is also amazing as the director of the company and shares some great scenes with Portman. Someone who really surprised me was Mila Kunis. Casting her as the naughty and Nina's opposite, Lily, was a great choice. She suits the role very well and gives the best performance of her career. Another excellent performer is Barbara Hershey as Nina's overbearing mother and Winona Ryder also does a great job.
Black Swan is an exquisite and disturbing character study that had me on edge from start to finish. From Natalie Portman's incredible performance to Darren Aronofsky's insane direction, Black Swan is a film that definitely deserves a watch.