People who have been led to believe that Black Swan is a film about ballet will be sorely disappointed. Black Swan uses ballet as a background for a much darker and psychological affair and gives Natalie Portman the performance of a lifetime.
Nina is a featured ballerina who is given the opportunity of a lifetime, that of taking the lead in a new production of Swan Lake, where she has to become to very different characters, the sweet, innocent White Swan and the more seductive, sexually charged black swan. Nina can dance the white swan no problem but her lack of passion leads director Thomas to struggle. Onto the scene comes Lily, a dancer who carries every attribute that is needed for the Black Swan and she dances it with effortlessness. Nina starts become paranoid she will lose the part and she slowly starts falling into madness.
Darren Aronofsky has made some head-scratching movies in the past: Pi, Requiem For A Dream and The Fountain. He made mainstream a few years back with the straight-forward examination of a loser wanting to make better of his life in the excellent The Wrestler but he is definitely back to messing with your mind here. This follows a woman going through an almost hallucination called her life. She is trapped in the world of a young girl, not helped by her over-bearing mother who makes live in a pink bedroom with fluffy toys and a music box, this just being one reason for her lack of passion. Aronofsky keeps the focus on Nina throughout and we watch her go from proud leading lady to one of utter madness.
The performances are all good here. Vincent Cassel is given the chance to play something other than the thug and he commands the part of the director with ease. Mila Kunis, as rival Lily, is both incredibly sexy and sinister at the same time. You are never sure about her through which is all credit to her performance. Nice to see Winona Ryder back on screen, even if her role is nothing more than a cameo. I was bothered, however, by Barbara Hershey, as Nina's mother. Her teeth seem to be more hypnotic than her and they drew away from her domineering matriarch.
The film, however, belongs to Natalie Portman. She is incredible and she is never given a moment to drop the facade, as the camera is in her face throughout. Very rarely do we see a full shot of Portman. Aronofsky wants us to experience every second of her pain as she goes through jealousy, anger, confusion, paranoia, frustration, suspicion to out and out evil. We watch her every move as she transforms into the Black Swan. Portman was superb in Leon and she is finally given the chance to shine and she does an amazing job.
If you think this is going to be a nice journey in the world of ballet then I'd advise you to see The Red Shoes or Turning Point or Robert Altman's The Company. The dance is there but it's not centre stage. This is a dark, disturbing film and some scenes are bound to shock, plus you will never pull at the loose skin by the side of your fingernails again.
A twisted, hypnotic movie and one that you need to see, just for Natalie Portman proving she is more than just a pretty face and a Princess from Star Wars.
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