Film review: Black Swan

Black Swan by director Darren Aronofsky, charts the mental breakdown of ballerina Nina, played by Natalie Portman after she wins the lead  in Swan Lake. Already highly strung, she obsesses over whether she has the capability to play the dual role of the Swan Queen which means fulfilling both the Black Swan and White Swan parts in the ballet. Her ballet company’s director Thomas (Vincent Cassell) acknowledges her brilliance for the White Swan but fills her with doubts about her  potential to inhibit the more sexual and sensual characteristics of the Black Swan. Her fear is compounded by him having easily discarded the ballet company’s previous Swan Queen lead Beth MacIntyre played by Winona Ryder and his enthusiastic praise for new ballet company addition carefree rival Lily (Mila Kunis). Nina also has to contend with a controlling mother (Barbara Hershey) whose ballet career was cut short by becoming pregnant with her.

The brilliance of this movie lies mainly in your amazement at Natalie Portman dancing around 90% of her own scenes having had intense ballet training for the role and the way you are drawn into the meaning of the ballet itself. As a story it’s very melodramatic and extreme but that is not necessarily belittling – in this case it’s entertaining. There’s no need to over-intellectualise, just enjoy. As a lover of dance including ballet, I have never really been inspired to see Swan Lake but now I have some curiosity about it. Go along and expect to marvel at the dance but also expect to be shocked at the violence and occasional blood and gore.