Kristin Reviews Black Swan

When I saw the preview for Black Swan, I thought it looked like a sort of freaky cross between All About Eve and The Turning Point. Turns out, the preview was extremely misleading. Black Swan is, in fact, a psychological drama about personal identity.

Natalie Portman is flat-out amazing as Nina, a child-like ballet dancer who conforms to her mother’s every manipulative expectation, leaving her with no identity of her own. This existence seems acceptable to her until she is faced with the challenge of tapping into her inner passion to perform the seductive role of the Swan Queen’s alter ego, the Black Swan, in her dance company’s performance of Swan Lake. While her precise dancing style is perfectly appropriate for the timid and innocent white swan, she is lost when encouraged to let go and become the temptress who steals the Swan Queen’s prince.

The duality of these characters in Swan Lake, then, becomes the impetus for Nina’s gradual, descent into madness. Trapped in her mother’s overbearing presence, surrounded by all the trappings of virginal childhood, she desperately tries to find the Black Swan within herself. But the Black Swan is a strong personality possessed of independence and wanton desires – tempting to daughter, but unwelcome and
threatening to mother. In the crippling space in which her White Swan self resides, this Black Swan cannot be set free – it can only tear Nina apart.

Aronofsky’s direction is brilliant. Just as Swan Lake focuses on the stark contrast between white and dark, innocent and seductive, trapped and free, every element of the film embodies one of two extremes. Every color and camera angle and sound serves to illuminate Nina’s inner struggle. And Natalie Portman’s performance is spectacular. Nina may struggle to find both Swans within herself, but Ms. Portman nails them both with superb talent.

-Kristin
1.30.2011