Black Swan - a film review

Black Swan

Director: Darren Aronofsky

Cast: Barbara Hershey, Mila Kunis, Natalie Portman, Vincent Cassel, Winona Ryder

Wonderfully twisted at all times, provoking the deepest, darkest corners of the dancer’s mind, Darren Aronofsky’s psychological escapade uses a scalpel and slices you from the inside out.

Since Requiem for a Dream I have been curious about Aronofsky’s direction, Requiem single handedly made me want to become a feature film director, since then he has yet penetrate my soul and leave my sweat dripping from the cinema armrest. A film about ballet serves a perfect contrast to The Wrestler which also follows an entertainer who is drawn to the spotlight. Black Swan reminded me why Aronofsky is the bravest of all directors – he delves into regions of the psyche that many fear to tread.

At its centre is young ballerina Nina Sayers, played by Natalie Portman. She is beautiful, vulnerable, sexually naive and susceptible to mental illness. To play the role of a lifetime, Nina must delve deep into her own dark side. As her hallucinations and anxiety attacks escalate in tandem with her progress in rehearsal, artistic breakthrough fuses with nervous breakdown. The underlying driving force for her obsession to achieve is her deep hatred towards her mother who has pushed her into a box which she is striving to escape from. Barbara Hershey plays a satisfyingly sadistic role of a controlling mother.


We join the story as the New York City ballet company is looking to replace its fading star Beth Macintyre (the casting of Winona Ryder is sheer perfection) for their rendition of Swan Lake. There is strong competition from the sensual minx Lily (played by Mila Kunis) who has a naturally provocative and effortless style. Lily serves as the ideal competition yet ultimately teaches Nina to free herself and plunge into the devilishly seductive black swan.


Black Swan is grandiosely over the top with the cinematography offering a fireworks display of imagery together with Tchaikovsky’s theme soundtrack that result in a climax of gut wrenching, theatrical brilliance that haunts you for hours after the curtains are drawn.