Life and Art by a Texan: 2010

**SOME SPOILERS**

   Darren Aronofsky’s strong theme of desperation and sacrifice intensely runs throughout this film. Just like in Requiem for a Dream and in The Wrestler, Black Swan deals with a character’s wants and what she will do to get it. He uses his skills in such a confident way that he never really stops to think if it might be too much for the audience. Personally I think that it is just what the audience needed. The psychosexual nature of it all was so thrilling and exciting. Even if I was watching it with my mom and believe me when I say it was definitely awkward at times. But all that aside even the sex scene between Mila Kunis and Natalie Portman was perfect considering the nature of the rest of the movie.

   Some people may be put off by Black Swan but Aronofsky’s approach with repetition works in every sense possible. The countless visual motifs throughout the movie creates another immediate experience and reaction. The moving mirror images, the countless black vs. white, and the blood all have their own meaning. He slowly builds up the tension and then lets it explode with feeling for the audience. By the end of the film you are left wondering exactly what was fantasy and what was reality. All of this is because the entire film is shot in Nina’s perspective and you only see exactly what she is seeing.

   Each of the characters represents the different pressures in Nina’s life pulling her farther away from sanity. Her mother, stuck in her own ballerina days, babies Nina and pressures her to be the perfect ballerina. Thomas knew that she desired to be perfect and also knew that she had the potential to be the best but she was too stiff and tried too hard. However he took advantage of her lack of sexual experience and used that to try and get her to loosen up. Lilly most importantly represents the Black Swan itself and the looseness that Thomas wanted in Nina’s dancing and attitude. Lilly being the Black Swan also revolves around the duplications of Nina. Throughout the movie Nina continually sees her own face wherever she goes. It is the most used visual representation to represent Nina’s lose of reality and her sanity.  Usually it was always Lilly who Nina confused with seeing herself. She was also drawn to Lilly because she knew that was what Thomas wanted her to be. Beth was also an important character because she represented what Nina did not want to become before her career even had started. However with all of these pressures in Nina’s life the only real pressure is herself. Being her ultimate downfall.

   Natalie’s performance in my opinion may be the best of her career. She is so incredibly delicate and makes Nina just as sympathetic as she is supposed to be. You can see the obvious metamorphosis from the sweet, innocent Nina to the scared, lost in a fantasy Nina in the end all through her perfect acting. She gives such a breath taking performance and even though she has always been one of my favorite actresses I truly feel like she deserves the attention she is getting for this film. I smell an oscar.

   Personally Black Swan is the best film of 2010.