Black Swan

(2010)

Dir: Darren Aronofsky

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At one point in Black Swan, Darren Aronofsky’s follow up to 2007’s brilliant The Wrestler, Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis’ bamboo-figured ballerinas dance the night away in a nightclub. There are lights, there’s music, and I reckon if I was epileptic I’d probably still be convulsing in my seat as we speak.

No one does crazy like Aronofsky. His 2002 masterpiece Requiem For A Dream merges mania with drug abuse, but since then Rachel Weisz’ spouse has been a little restrained with his camera, keeping both The Wrestler and the opinion-splitting The Fountain relatively straight forward. But Black Swan is a return to the Aronofsky of old. The gritty, Michael Mann documentary-style visuals are still in place, but back are the jarring, hypnotic frenzied set-pieces of Requiem.

In terms of plot, Black Swan is closest to The Wrestler. Portman’s Nina is an aspiring ballerina who finally gets her shot at the big time, when Vincent Cassel’s lecherous choreographer Thomas makes her his new White and Black Swan for the famous production of Swan Lake. Unfortunately, with the arrival of Kunis’ spiky Lily and the sheer stress of the role, poor little Nina begins to lose her mind, turning from the cute little White Swan she was, into the sinister Black Swan.

 

David Bowie is Black Swan.

 

Considering she is on screen for virtually the entire film, Portman is tremendous, if a little humourless at times. Her scenes with her mother (Barbara Hershey) in particular are a treat, as we see the life of the ballerina literally itching away at her.

Of the others Kunis doesn’t really have much to do other than act like a slut, whilst the always excellent Cassel is perfectly detestable as the pervy teacher, and Winona Ryder’s bitter Beth is just kind of there. Hershey is the standout of the supporting players. But really this film belongs to both Portman and Aronofsky.

As with most Auteurs, Aronofsky really is an acquired taste. You either love his brain frazzling style, or you consider him to simply be a very, very lucky kid with ADHD, a camera and a few million bucks. I happen to fall into the former category, so while Black Swan isn’t quite his best work, it is nice to see Aronofsky attempting the merge the dark, angsty beauty of his drug addled world in Requiem with the earthy realism of The Wrestler. He truly is a unique talent in Hollywood. After all, who else could go from ballet to Wolverine without batting an eyelid?

**** / *****