In a moviescape full of 3-D eye-candy and ridiculous plot twists, “Black Swan” thrills the old-fashioned way: with deep-seated psychological drama. Yes, it’s sexy, but it’s no “Wild Things.” Instead, expect an intense story of ambition and manipulation, masterfully performed and beautifully staged, with just a hint of the bizarre and a heaping dose of the disturbing.
“Black Swan” is all about a good girl gone bad. Ballerina Nina Sayers (Natalie Portman) lives for the day she will star as the pure and gentle Swan Princess in Tchikovsky’s classic ballet, “Swan Lake.” When the prima ballerina (Winona Ryder) is forced into an early retirement, Nina has her chance, but there’s one problem: herself.
The “Swan Lake” princess must play the part of the lascivious black swan too, and Nina’s devious, sleazy boss, Thomas Leroy (Vincent Cassel), is not sure if Nina will be able to embody both. Nina’s led a relatively sheltered life, struggling and training under the omnipresent eye of her controlling mommy dearest, Erica (Barbara Hershey), who lives vicariously through her daughter’s success.
To shake up Nina and the rest of the company, Thomas hires Lily (Mila Kunis), an uninhibited bad girl. Thomas plays Nina and Lily against each other, with devastating results on the confused and inexperienced Nina.
“Black Swan” builds by following Nina’s appalling daily routine: a shockingly scant diet, hours of training, inhuman feats of flexibility, self-mutilation, bulimia and not a moment of privacy at home. As Nina’s world opens to the corrupting influences of Thomas and Lily, the drama mounts and explodes in its fantastical, fever-pitch finale.
Sex, drugs and psychotic paranoia. What’s not to like?
The introverted story arc requires exquisite acting to draw us in, and the “Black Swan” cast does an award-winning job. Cassel is perverted and perfectly detestable in his misogynistic role. Hershey is more than overprotective, she’s almost predatory as Nina’s mother. Kunis continues to prove herself on the big screen, and while her character is a little stereotypical, Kunis delivers Lily with such sincerity that we can’t help but admire her abandon. Above all, Portman astounds as the perfect porcelain girl, dancing on the edge of both womanhood and reason.
Director Darren Aronofsky’s artistic details add to the film’s solid acting. The camera follows Nina around in voyeuristic closeups, and we hear her breathing, her tippy-toeing across polished dance floors, her gasps of terror. Every costume and set is dominated by black and white, except for Nina’s not-so-safe haven, her inappropriately pink room. Swans, wings and feathers are everywhere. Even the music, a beautiful score by Clint Mansell, features slow and backwards snippets of Tchikovsky’s classic suite.
In his fifth feature-length film, Aronofsky’s directing style emerges with a flair for the intense (like his “Requiem for a Dream”) and juxtaposition of the real and surreal (think “The Fountain”). Though this mix is intriguing, some audiences may be unable to suspend disbelief when fantasy bleeds into Nina’s reality. There aren’t clear cues to pick up on what’s real and what’s not, and many of these episodes are too unreal to believe. But if you don’t care to reconcile these surreal details with the real world, “Black Swan” will lead you on a twisted trip.
The film could stand alone on its story and spectacle, but “Black Swan” goes a step further by touching on compelling social messages. Nearly every little girl wants to be a ballerina at some point in her life; “Black Swan” examines, then works to destroy that ideal on several levels. The concept of the “every woman” is heavily scrutinized. Perfectionism is dismantled. People with all-or-nothing attitudes are crushed; people who are repressed fare even worse.
In our culture, we already know the story and appeal of white swans, which is why the dark is often so exotic and enticing. “Black Swan” explores the lurid alleys of morality with all of its dusky glamor, but without any glorification.
—
Speakeasy rating: A
“Black Swan”
Starring: Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Vincent Cassel, Barbara Hershey
Rated R for strong sexual content, disturbing violent images, language and some drug use.