Review of Black Swan (2010) by Bjorn B — 22 Jul 2014

There are not enough words in the English language to describe the praise Darren Aronofsky deserves for Black Swan. It was one of the most talked about and sought after films at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival, and for good reason - it is a masterpiece that is just as much beautiful as it is nightmarish. The film not only ended up as the best film at TIFF but the best film of the year. It also went onto win lots of awards, most notabally for Natalie Portman who actually won the Oscar for best perforance by an actress in a leading role. I must admit, this is the second Darren Aronofsky film I have seen, the other being this years 'Noah' which I thought was a very flawed film. This, however, is flawless and not only has semeneted Aronofsky as an extremly talented director, not only for his impeccable visual style but for the fact that he also does a brilliant job of creating the world that these characters inhabit.

This film reminded me of all the terrible parts of my theater days. The backstabbing, the trash talking, and the two faced nature of that world is portrayed with a deft and brilliant touch. There is a constant fear that you are one mistake away from losing not only your part, but your future parts as well. You feel like you are a part of this world, that he pressure of it is part of your world.

The camera work is great and very affective. The somewhat jittery, close hand-held shots are perfect and pull you deeper into this world than may be comfortable. He has definitley shown he confidence behind the camera with this picture and it's a very finly directed piece. He too seeks perfection in his work, finding the right camera angles, the right tempo, and the right composition. This film has some incrediable camera work, thanks to the cinematography of DP Matthew Libatique, whose fluid camera movements are the glue that hold the film together. It's a very stunning film to look at, a visual treat I would say. A.