Review of Black Swan (2010) by Nikhil N — 18 Sep 2015

I have a beautiful relationship with Art. It has enriched my life, molded my views and my psyche. Well, basically, it is the same case with most of the people, the audience. Why? Because, we are viewers, from afar, not inside it. Because of what goes on behind it, how it makes or breaks lives? For, an Artist, the Art is his/her life and vice versa. The lines between the two are blurred, and your Art slowly consumes you. It can be great for some, destructive for some, and for some rare souls, both of it at once.

It is a pure relationship, the one between the Art and the Artist. And Darren Aronofsky has brilliantly explored this relationship, with the 2010 psychological drama Black Swan. The story of Nina Sayers, and her poetic relationship with her art, Ballet, is ever so subtlety portrayed on the silver screen by Aronofsky, the man behind poignant psychological drama like Pi and The Fountain. The movie opened to universal critical acclaim, and was nominated for five Academy Awards, and Natalie Portman went on to receive the Best Actress for her bold performance as Nina.

A famous New York company is looking for a fresh ballerina for its production of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake Ballet. The ballerina will have the challenging task of playing the contrasting characters of the Black Swan and the White Swan. Nina is the perfect pick for the beautiful and ethereal White Swan, but she is unable to grasp the dark and sensual Black Swan. Things take a turn for the worse when her role is threatened by the newly-arrived Lily (Mila Kunis). From there on, it is a downward spiral with Nina's hallucinations and the reality gets jumbled and she slowly loses grip of reality.

There is something uniquely magnetizing about how Aronofsky brings out his scenes. It is not a pretty picture, with its themes of horror, fear and desperation, but you just can't look away, because it is so tastefully done. Ballet, itself plays an important role here, and Aronofsky captures it with a sad elegance. You know how this is all going to end, but that is not the point. It is about how Nina's life is slowly unraveling and disintegrating herself and all we can do is helplessly sit and watch. It is a powerful emotion, despair, and Aronofsky plays that card with quite an effect. The cinematography is dark, yet beautifully done. There is so much emotional disintegration around, but it all feels so visually beautiful and that makes it scary. The music, too complements the tone and tenor the film adopts.

Of course, you can't put it in words, but I will still talk about Natalie Portman. From the "Damsel in Distress" in the Star Wars flicks, she has really matured as an actress. And with Nina Sayers, she has produced an absolute gem, a character with so much pain in her eyes, it is heart wrenching. Her porcelain face is laced with a plethora of emotions and her character successfully depicts the behind-the-scenes pains and agony of any performing artist. It is by far the bets female performance of this decade! Brilliant.

Black Swan is brilliantly written, acted and directed. It is a haunting examination of life on a stage, which slowly rips apart your soul in the elusive quest for one unattainable prize -.

Perfection!