Without a doubt, there are moments of “Black Swan” that the viewer will never forget. Some scenes are so nail-bitingly creepy that they burrow into the brain and refuse to leave. I still have flashbacks of a few particularly disturbing incidents. These moments of near unbearable tension are the best part of “Black Swan”; they occur when you least expect them, giving the entire movie an unsettling feeling.
Natalie Portman’s performance was phenomenal. She stepped out of her conventional role to bring a darkness that made the movie, walking a thin line between the two sides of her character’s personality. The Nina Sayers who lived the life of the White Swan was innocent and clueless about the real world around her; the Black Swan was viscerally dangerous and in control. She is perfectly contrasted by the self-assured Lily, played by Mila Kunis, whose personality matches that of the Black Swan.† Kunis also delivered a fantastic performance, staying both highlyself-assured and relatable, providing a down-to-earth character in contrast with Nina’s hysteria. Nina’s mother (Barbara Hershey), was also extraordinary. She constantly tries to keep her daughter locked in a sheltered bubble of her childhood, helping to both preserve and destroy Nina.
Throughout the movie, some scenes are obviously part of a fantasy, like the various manifestations of Nina believing that she is turning into a swan. However, other details are more ambiguous. The movie is told through Nina’s eyes, so the audience is forced to question everything it is shown. Many scenes begin as potential reality, but are revealed to be part of her delusion; trying to decide what actually happened is half the fun of watching the movie.
The dancing was impeccable. Most viewers are probably not fans of classical ballet, but it was presented as an accessible art form, giving insights into the life of a professional dancer. Portman and Kunis both trained extensively to make the dancing as authentic as possible, and their hard work comes across beautifully.
For all of its triumphs, “Black Swan” certainly had aspects that could have been better. With the exception of Nina, every other character remained completely static; while this did help enhance the magnitude of Nina’s changes, it did nothing for the plot.† Vincent Cassel, as the director of the ballet, was wonderfully creepy, especially when telling Nina to go home and touch herself, but his performance was very repetitive.† The transformation of Nina was the focus of the plot, but there was little action otherwise.
The biggest puzzlement about “Black Swan” regards the purpose of the sex scene. Intimate lesbian action is still somewhat taboo in American movies, and I can understand the purpose of enticing people with something novel; however, it was not necessary in the advancement of the story. Hundreds of other scenes could have been used to show the extent of one of Nina’s hallucinations. The fantasy shows that she is becoming more in touch with her sexuality, but it seemed to have been included more to lure viewers with the promise of soft-core lesbian porn.
“Black Swan” is a psychological thriller, and Nina’s transformation is certainly thrilling to watch. I am still questioning what was reality and what was Nina’s delusion. The dancing was flawless, and the music completely enhanced the mood of the movie. Overall, while I did not think that the movie particularly lived up to the hype, “Black Swan” is certainly worth watching. Just don’t expect to get it out of your head anytime soon.
