Mr. Aronofsky has had quite a run. His "Requiem for a Dream" from 2000 is still one of the most disturbing films about addiction (drug and otherwise) ever made. Six years later, his follow-up, "The Fountain", was largely ignored in theaters - indeed, it was a sadly flawed but thoroughly beautiful film in which the director's reach exceeded his grasp (it was meant to be about nothing less than the meaning of life and death). Then 2008's modest "The Wrestler" proved to be Mr. Aronofsky's most grounded film, a critical and financial success. "Swan" combines elements of everything from the Aronofsky canon. Like "Dream", its lead characters are obsessed, in this case with ballet. Like "Fountain" its twisty narrative is beautifully filmed. And like "The Wrestler", it's about a shot at the title - and it contains some disturbing plastic surgery (oh, Barbara Hershey).
But perhaps the film is most similar to the director's "Pi". Like his 1998 debut, "Swan" is about one character's possible descent into madness. And the film keeps the audience guessing about what's real and what's in the imagination of young Nina (Natalie Portman), a beautiful ballerina given the lead role in "Swan Lake" at a preeminent New York City ballet company.
Nina is saddled with the type of suffocating, ex-ballerina mother (Ms. Hershey) that makes Piper Laurie from "Carrie" look like June Cleaver. She's also given a rival in the guise of young up-and-comer Lily (Mila Kunis, bringing some much-needed playfulness to the film) and a walking cautionary tale in the form of Winona Ryder as a "geriatric" retiree. To top it all off, Vincent Cassel plays one of those terrible "movie" directors, the type whose notes to his actress include, "You're weak" and "You're a coward" (George Balanchine may or may not have been pleased with this portrayal). With a support network like this, it's no wonder Nina goes off the deep end.
At the center of it all is Ms. Portman who gives the performance of her career here. Clearly an accomplished dancer in her own right, Ms. Portman makes Nina so fragile, so naive, and wound up so tightly, she appears to be made of porcelain. With seemingly no natural defenses, you're left to wonder how she got this far in the first place. In the cut-throat backstage scenes, she's nearly eaten alive. She gapes, gasps and is otherwise consistently taken aback.
As always, Mr. Aronofsky isn't shy about depicting the brutal toll of obsession, both physical (Ms. Portman is woefully, though appropriately, skinny) and emotional (the film has you virtually rooting for her to have an orgasm - no, really). And those marks on her back, are they from scratching herself? Or has she lost herself so thoroughly in the role that she may actually transform into a swan?
For the first time, Mr. Aronofsky borrows heavily. Aside from "Red Shoes", there's "All About Eve", "A Chorus Line" and even "Showgirls" thrown in for good measure. The film's script - by Mark Heyman, Andres Heinz and John McLaughlin, from a story by Mr. Heinz - makes no secret of its conceit: the story mimics the form of "Swan Lake". Each character in the film has an analog in the ballet. And so the film's structure and ending have a beautiful inevitability to them. But the film, like Nina, is so withdrawn into its own world as to be nearly impenetrable - even more so, perhaps, than "The Fountain. This is what happens when an hyper-talented indie director gets a few dollars under his belt. Don't look for a clean explanation or revelatory twist (a la "The Sixth Sense" or "Fight Club"). With Mr. Aronofsky, you just need to go along for the ride. And while it can be frustrating - even absurd - at times, there are moments of beautiful filmmaking that may give you (with apologies to swans everywhere) goosebumps.
| Movie title | Black Swan |
|---|---|
| Release year | 2010 |
| MPAA Rating | R |
| Our rating | |
| Summary | Darren Aronofsky continues his obsession with, well, obsession with this story of a New York ballerina who gets the dance of a lifetime. |
