Black Swan
Black Swan
Directed by Darren Aronofsky
Photographed by Matthew Libatique
2010
Starring: Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Vincent Cassel
In my opinion, Black Swan is Aronofsky's grittiest, darkest film made to date, even more so than Requiem For a Dream. The grainy photography accompanied by handheld movements add tremendous emotion and intensity to the film. Natalie Portman does a fantastic job playing a young ballet dancer who is over protected by her mother. She seems normal to society, but her insecurities and inhibitions assure the audience there is something psychologically wrong with her. This is where Darren's undeniable talent for storytelling comes into play, he effortlessly shows us her anxiety and self-doubt, through pure visual means. This psychological thriller is densely motivated by the early works of Roman Polanski, in particular Repulsion. Aronofsky's vision turns this incoherent plot into a comprehensive, enjoyable narrative. I would also dare to say this is his most accomplished film, comfortably fusing many art mediums, like dance and music and film, and doing so seamlessly. One of my favorite details in the film, although very small, was the crew removal. The picture was shot in dance studios and a major symbol in the plot are mirrors, so naturally they filmed in front of a lot of mirrors, the reflection of all crew was removed so perfectly that you don't even realize it. The film was praised for its accomplishments in visual effects, flirting with ludicrous ideas such as head replacement and making it happen. All in all the film is definitely a pleasing one to watch, although you might find yourself closing your eyes at times.
