Black Swan (2010)

"You have to love and respect yourself before you can expect anyone else to"

Directed by Darren Aronofsky
Produced by Ari Handel, Scott Franklin, Mike Medavoy, Arnold Messer, Brian Oliver
Screenplay by Mark Heyman, Andres Heinz, John McLaughlin
Based on the story of Andres Heinz
Starring: Natalie Portman, Vincent Cassel, Mila Kunis, Barbara Hershey, Winona Ryder

Music by Clint Mansell
Cinematography: Matthew Libatique
Edited by Andrew Weisblum
Distributed by Fox Searchlight Pictures
Release date: September 1, 2010(Venice)
Running time: 108 minutes
Country: United States

"Black Swan" is a drama mystery thriller film directed by Darren Aronofsky. The story is about a hard-working ballerina Nina who have a chance to become a great one. The main role in "Swan Lake" of Tchaikovsky makes her feel bad: Nina can play the fragile and innocent White Swan perfectly, but dark and sensual Black Swan doesn't yield her. However, it can be embodied only by a new arrival, Lily. This thought makes Nina go crazy and the competition becomes a real nightmare.

Cast

• Natalie Portman as Nina Sayers/The Swan Queen
• Mila Kunis as Lily/The Black Swan
• Vincent Cassel as Thomas Leroy/The Gentleman
• Barbara Hershey as Erica Sayers/The Queen
• Winona Ryder as Beth MacIntyre/The Dying Swan
• Benjamin Millepied as David Moreau/The Prince
• Ksenia Solo as Veronica/Little Swan
• Kristina Anapau as Galina/Little Swan
• Janet Montgomery as Madeline/Little Swan
• Sebastian Stan as Andrew/Suitor
• Toby Hemingway as Tom/Suitor

Darren Aronofsky, the director of "Black Swan", was inspired by the novel "The Double" of F. Dostoyevsky and the trilogy of R. Polanski  ("Repulsion", " Rosemary's Baby " and " The Tenant "). He always makes splendid films with an interesting theme and a contrived plot. Therefore Darren Aronofsky is one of my favourite directors, and I watch his works with pleasure.

This film is starred by wonderful Natalie Portman. Why wonderful? She always looks so natural, so plausible in her films therefore I can approve an existence of her talent. In "Black Swan" the character of Portman is a young ballet dancer, who wants to be the whole show in "Swan Lake". She copes with the role of the magnificent White Swan very well but nothing comes of the vicious Black Swan. And Natalie played her polysemantic part earnestly.

As for Mila Kunis, she's my discovery. Her part of the main antagonist was played ideally. Lily seems like she doesn't exert herself, she handles everything very easily. She's wanton so it makes her a perfect candidacy for the Black Swan. Thus Mila shows every detail of her role.

Advantages

• Natalie Portman as Nina Sayers/The Swan Queen
• Mila Kunis as Lily/The Black Swan
• Vincent Cassel as Thomas Leroy/The Gentleman
• Darren Aronofsky
• Visual effects
• Story

Disadvantages

• Some repugnant moments 

"Strangenesses"

• Going mad

Clue Moments

• White Swan
• Black Swan
• Killing

I love films with sense, and "Black Swan" is one of them. Almost everyone wants to be perfect. I don't deny that it's important for everybody to develop different skills, try to become better. But the sense of measure should hint when we need to stop. This sense is individual for each of us, everyone chooses when he or she needs to break up. So the film shows us that the perfection has only one way: you should spend all your time and work really hard. But the most significant thing is not to lose yourself.

If we look closely at the idea of the film, it will turn out quite interesting. This movie consists of several traditional romantic themes: a person's double, an intrusion of the theatre into a life of characters, a physical transformation of a hero to his or her opposition, but they're interpreted from the point of view of Lacan' psychoanalysis. Nina is well over twenty, but she's still an infantile girl who lives with a lonely mother from little up surrounded by plush toys. Sayers puts much energy into the work forgetting about her private life. Because of the imperious director who makes the girl connect her professional life with the dark side of her personality, Nina starts to see hallucinations proving unequal to the task. This fact causes split personality and others mental illnesses of the main character. This idea makes the film a psychological thriller.

Soundtracks

1. Clint Mansell - Nina's Dream
2. Clint Mansell - Mother Me
3. Clint Mansell - The New Season
4. Clint Mansell - A Room Of Her Own
5. Clint Mansell - A New Swan Queen
6. Clint Mansell - Lose Yourself
7. Clint Mansell - Cruel Mistress
8. Clint Mansell - Power, Seduction, Cries
9. Clint Mansell - The Double
10. Clint Mansell - Opposites Attract
11. Clint Mansell - Night Of Terror
12. Clint Mansell - Stumbled Beginnings...
13. Clint Mansell - It's My Time
14. Clint Mansell - A Swan Is Born
15. Clint Mansell - Perfection
16. Clint Mansell - A Swan Song (For Nina) 

Quotations

* * *

Lily: I don't think we ever officially met. I'm Lily.
Nina: Hi, Nina.
Lily: Yes, our new swan queen! You must be so excited. Are you freaking out?
Nina: (chuckles) Yeah.
Lily: Yeah, it's okay. I would be losing my mind.

* * *

Thomas Leroy: This is your moment, Nina. Don't let it go.

* * *

Erica: What happened to my sweet girl?
Nina: She's gone!

* * *

Thomas Leroy: Nina, what did you do?
Nina: I felt it. Perfect. I was perfect.

* * *

Thomas Leroy: The only person standing in your way is you.

* * *

Nina: I was perfect...

* * *
You may see the trailer here.

Plot: 9/10

Entertainment: 8/10

Acting: 9/10

Originality: 8/10

Music and Sound: 9/10

9/10