Black Swan

May31

Director/Stars: Natalie Portman (Actor), Mila Kunis (Actor), Darren Aronofsky (Director)

Genre: Drama

Read: May 18, 2011

Summary: Psycho Thriller, Qu’est-ce que c’est

ANY CHARACTER HERE

Reviews for two Natalie Portman movies in a row! She was wasted in the previous Thor, but shows off some serious chops here. This is clearly in a different league altogether.

Directory Darren Aronofsky fuses stylistic traits from his ultra surreal films (Pi, Requiem for a Dream, The Fountain) with the more documentary style The Wrestler into this psychological thriller. While oblique in terms of what’s actually happening, it’s positively crystal clear in comparison to that earlier trio. Also, dark as it is, it’s by no means as unrelentingly depressing as Requiem. Can we say “ass to ass” anyone?

First the components. The music’s awesome. I love Swan Lake as a composition. The acting is even better. Natalie, Mila, Vincent Cassel, and Barbara Hershey all stand out. The film is deliberately underwritten, standing on the strength of its style, acting, and direction. For whatever reason, Darren Aronofsky loves walking shots where the camera is anchored low behind the shoulders of the protagonist, or right in front of their chest. Both The Wrestler and Requiem are filled with these. Black Swan has even more. Rest assured, it’s a stylish looking film.

Now as to the overall effect. I enjoyed it, but this certainly isn’t a fast film. It’s more pretty, with a kind of savage quality, much like the ballet itself. Thematically, I take the entire fantastic/horror element to be purely the reflection of ballerina Nina’s internal state of mind. Even her entire feud with Mila’s Lily is in her own head. There is perhaps a more literal fantastic interpretation, but I feel the case for the psychological is much stronger. This is the opposite of say, Pan’s Labyrinth where while again both psychological and mythological interpretations are possible, I prefer the fantastic.

In any case, it’s a unique film. Not at all the typical Hollywood fare — but then nothing Aronofsky has done is.

By: agavin
Comments (4)

Posted in: Movies

Tagged as: Academy Award, Barbara Hershey, Black Swan, Darren Aronofsky, Mila Kunis, Natalie Portman, Pi (film), Psychological thriller, Requiem for a Dream, Vincent Cassel, Wrestler

Randeep

This movie creeped me out and screwed with my head more times than I’d like to admit. The bit with the nails, how she’s peeling it back and keeps peeling? Creeped me the hell out. The bit where she’s slamming the door on her mother’s hand? Again, creeped me the hell out. It also made me cautious around doors for the following few weeks after watching this movie. Though I did love the way it ended, it ended very well.
- http://mascherato.wordpress.com agavin
  
  Certainly was creepy.
http://twitter.com/DmytryKarpov Dmytry Karpov

This was a pretty great film. Not something I’d re-watch often, but a unique and great experience. You’re spot on regarding Darren Aronofsky’s tendency to anchor the camera behind or in front of the protagonist. Personally, I really love his use of the shoulder anchoring technique. I feel like it frees up the viewer to look at the setting and other characters, since we’re not distracted by the protagonists performance. Yet, the protagonist is still in the shot, which gives it a more personal, meaningful feeling. In a way, these shots made me feel like I was experiencing what the protagonist was experiencing more effectively than POV shots, which while still showing me what the protagonist sees, cut the character out of the shot, loosing the connection between character and viewer.
- http://all-things-andy-gavin.com Andy Gavin
  
  They totally work, I just haven’t seen another director so enamored of them. They have this peculiar quality where the person is relatively static and the environment moves about them. It’s distinct enough to draw your attention to the technique.