Black Swan’s dark heart

THERE are few movies I feel you need to prepare yourself for mentally before watching but with Black Swan, I recommend a strong state of mind.
Black Swan is a psychological thriller directed by Darren Aronofsky and starring Natalie Portman, Vincent Cassel, and Mila Kunis. The plot revolves around a production of Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake ballet by a prestigious New York City dance company.
The show needs a ballerina to play both the untouched and innocent White Sawn and the dark and sensual Black Swan. Two ballerinas, Nina (Portman) and Lily (Kunis) compete for the part and are thrown into a world of good and evil that threatens to destroy them both.
This movie is not for the faint-hearted – in the cinema, even grown men were watching through their fingers – but if you can get past the dark and twisted nature of the film, the physiological side is enthralling.
Portman provides an insight into a whole range of mental issues like schizophrenia and depression. Her character is haunted by her darker side and is pulled between two characters until they are almost indistinguishable.
Both the actresses trained extensively in ballet for months prior to the film and dance exquisitely. Their waif-like frames add to the credibility of their characters. Vincent Cassel who plays Thomas, the company’s director, manages to create a character that the audience both despises and is drawn to.
Each character in the movie, from Nina’s mother (The Queen) to the aging ballerina (The Dying Swan), represents a character in the actual ballet, giving the film an ominous feeling as you realise how things are going to end.
Black Swan encompasses all the old and predictable themes of love, lust, good and evil but in an entirely new and disturbing way. If you’re game, go and enjoy – but don’t say I didn’t warn you.
– Miranda Luby