Black Swan: Aronofsky's latest MindFreak

Black Swan

Reviewed by Adam Minor
   

Darren Aronofsky is a master at presenting the human condition. From his first full-length film Pi to his newest Black Swan, Aronofsky's characters feel real. Real enough to be scary. His films are frightening, not because they're violent or horrifying, but because they present very real human emotions. Until Black Swan, his Requiem for a Dream was the pinnacle of his frightening and realistic depiction of the depravity of human condition. Requiem focuses on the addiction of drugs as the gateway to psychosis, whereas, Black Swan’s catalyst is the consuming drive to perfection.

Filled with a general creepiness, Black Swan shows the decline of Nina (Natalie Portman) into schizophrenia after being named Prima Ballerina for her company’s rendition of Swan Lake. The production requires the dancer to play both the White Swan with innocence and grace, and the Black Swan, who personifies guile and sensuality. Her only competition for the role is a new dancer named Lily (Mila Kunis) who represents the role of the black swan just as well as Nina represents the white.

Constant pressure from her overbearing mother, her passionate director and her own self drive Nina insane. She begins hallucinating and perceiving Lily’s intentions incorrectly. Seeking solace from the ballerina whom she replaced only leads her to further psychosis. She starts seeing odd things happening to her body. While her behavior represents her gradual acceptance of her “black swan” side, she hallucinates physical changes to her body.

You might find it surprising that I would herald this film as a success in the special effects division. Ever more so when you find out that it's not for the hallucinations she experiences. Special effects are a common practice in Hollywood, but they are done so seamlessly in this movie that there’s an added layer of creepiness on top of all the other layers.

Aronofsky continues to impress us by having character-driven stories that provide us a peek into the real-life experience of mental illness.

Rating: 4.5/5