“An Inspiring Film from a Nightmare”
Have you ever had a nightmare and it inspires you to write a book, or view different things, or maybe even talk to the girl who you’ve had a crush on all your life? Well Black Swan really does inspire you to do anything. It grabs you at the heart and whispers in your brain. It’s beautifully dark and magnificently told.
Natalie Portman does indeed give an outstanding performance as insecure ballet dancer, Nina Sayers. Nina has been with the ballet company for years and strives to be the dancer her mother, who is very overbearing, never was. She gets that chance when she gets the role of the Swan Queen. The Swan Queen is the main character in Swan Lake, which is about a princess who’s turned into a swan and needs love to break the spell. However, her prince falls for the evil black swan, and the princess kills herself. Portman’s portrayal defines a generation of actresses. Not only was her shyness and character good, but her “metamorphosis” into the black swan is also spectacular. She explores her dark side and inner fears in the form of Lily, the new dancer from San Francisco played by Mila Kunis. It reveals her inner “black swan” and prepares her to get into character.
The film was very trippy. Nina’s own downward spiral of being haunted by Lily paralleled the downward spiral of the white swan in Swan Lake. Now one misconception about this film is that it revolves around lesbianism. It does not. I cannot emphasis this any more than I could. Although there was a lesbian sex scene, that automatically doesn’t make this film a gay film. It’s also not a psycho-sexual film. There have been other psychological thrillers that include lesbian sex scenes, for example, David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive which also, while sensual, was disturbing. The psychological aspect of this film is a plus. It basically revolves around the notion of being haunted by a double, or a doppelganger, which the original script was about. Nina’s being haunted by her double, which in her psychotic mind, is in the form of Lily. Also, while watching the film, you’re not sure if it’s only Nina going crazy, because at times, you get paranoid, and I guarantee you that you will have that sense of being haunted by a double. The psychological element is very much like Roman Polanski’s films Rosemary’s Baby, The Tenant, and Repulsion. My recommendation is to watch this movie under stress, and then at the end, you will feel liberated.
This film is beautiful, haunting, and daring, taking risks and telling a perfect story. It delivers strong performances, great writing, and perfect directing and cinematography. I give the film an outstanding 5 out 5 and it is out now in theatres so go see it!
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