Director: Darren Aronofsky
Starring: Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Vincent Cassel
How do I even begin to describe this film? My brother summed it up rather nicely: "- it is unquestionably one of the most highly original films of the year and an incredible movie-going experience."
Most of you already know the thing that really stands out to me in films is the use of color symbolism. The use of black and white throughout the film could have easily been predicted because of the obvious nature of the ballet, but the way it intertwined into the films plot and still held it's own boundaries was beautiful. I expected the color red to be used more often, but the use of pinks and grays satisfied my expectations.
Natalie Portman truly is amazingly talented. I also agree that she should be nominated for an Academy Award for her performance in Black Swan. She always chooses good roles- kudos! She mentioned in a short featurette that she had been proposed the idea 8 years ago by Darren Aronofsky. It's a crazy story to have in the back of your head for so long!
Walking in, I knew it would be a little trippy. And it was. Darren Aronofsky is known for taking some chances stylistically and this film only strengthens that reputation. Paintings of faces moving and screaming, nail files being jabbed into places, mirrors playing tricks on the audience and the character, her own body's destruction, etc. These things were what made the film so interesting and engaging. To watch as her own conflicts were introduced based off others really made it difficult to decipher what was real.
Talking to Nicole, who saw the film with me tonight, we decided that the main thing we noticed was the film's sense of tension. Physical (the protagonist's strength and general ballerina-ness), psychological (the strange things she starts seeing), social (jealous girls that want to take her spot), sexual (the relationship between her, Mila Kunis, and Vincent Cassel's character), mentally (the relationship with her over-bearing mother), and even her own determination and diligence towards success. It seems like so much to accommodate for one story-line, but it came out pretty spectacular.
Let's talk about the ending: wait... let's not. Go see it. Then we'll talk about it. All I want to say is that it is perfectly beautiful.
Post a comment below with your thoughts and opinions of Black Swan : )
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