Black Swan Review: A Disturbing Quest for Perfection

Darren Aronofsky’s follow up to The Wrestler is Black Swan, an unrelenting, absolutely enthralling, psychological horror film about ballet. Yes, you read that correctly.

Nina Sayers (Natalie Portman) is a committed ballerina in a dance company in New York. She has spent years waiting for her chance. The director, Thomas Leroy (Vincent Cassel), decides to put on Swan Lake, but with a new take: one dancer will play both the White Swan and the Black Swan. This means starting fresh, which means getting rid of the established star, Beth (Winona Ryder, with a performance completely full of venom), and casting a new star. Nina arises as the favorite for the part, but that soon becomes threatened by a newcomer, Lily (Mila Kunis). The stress of competition and the overbearing pressure of her mother (Barbara Hershey) begins to cause Nina to unravel is frightening ways.

Nina is the White Swan. She is pristine. Her movements are precise and she is constantly striving for perfection. Her attitude as a dancer is her attitude as a person. She is timid and naïve. She has to keep her desires under control because she has to be perfect. However, if she wants to star in the show, she needs to find the darker side of herself, the Black Swan. This is where Lily comes in. Lily serves as Nina’s example – she is the Black Swan. She is free from the desire of perfection. She follows her desires wherever it takes her. It is when she drags Nina along with her that Nina begins to find the Black Swan within herself.

Natalie Portman is incredible in this film. She is so fragile as Nina. It is amazing the level of innocence she is able to convey by the way she moves, the way she has a hard time keeping eye contact, the way she shrugs her shoulders. It feels like she is made out of porcelain and could shatter into a million pieces if not handled with care. As incredible as this portrayal is, the most remarkable part of her performance is her transformation. As she discovers the Black Swan within herself, that softness disappears and a hard edge emerges. It is near jaw dropping to see what was once a timid girl throw aside people that stand in her way and take what belongs to her. It’s a fascinating character and an incredible performance. Portman is perfect in this role.

Mila Kunis is fascinating to watch as Lily. It’s never clear what her motives are. Is she a friend or a foe? Kunis takes to both with ease and stretches herself beyond the carefree spirit she enters the story as. She is kind in one moment and ruthless in the next. She is ally and adversary. A lot of this is a consequence of the point of view of the film.

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