Darren Aronofsky’s “Black Swan” is certainly one of the best films of the year.
The story centers on Nina (Natalie Portman), a perfectionist ballet dancer vying for the lead role in a re-imagining of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s ballet “Swan Lake.” As the film progresses, Nina’s hold on reality becomes severely distorted and does not abate as her sense of what is truly happening in her life progressively degenerates.
What sets this film apart from the rest of the award-worthy films featured in 2010 is that the film, similar to an experience in a ballet theater, propels an unstable, dependent character into a dramatic and suspenseful character transformation.
This is absolutely on my top 10 movies of the year.
Be forewarned, there is one possibly objectionable and controversial scene in the film worth noting. One of the aspects of Nina’s character delving into psychosis is her brief flirtation with Lily (Mila Kunis) in a risqué lesbian sex scene.
Some of the controversy in the media is warranted for the scene, but it displays no nudity and only implies sexual activity.
Further discussion concerning the scene will only add to the audience’s appetite for seeing a controversial movie. Just as the idea of two homosexual cowboys in “Brokeback Mountain” added to audience interest and attendance, the notion of an explicit encounter in a movie about ballerinas will most definitely garner the film attention.
The encounter in film, similar to those in “Brokeback Mountain,” was not the main point of the movie. In the film, the scene is only meant to show how far Nina’s character has strayed from her original behavior.
Natalie Portman is the only true contender for the Oscar’s Best Actress category because her performance makes this movie. None of the film’s impact would be felt without her as the lead. Critics and audiences will laud this film for years to come for Natalie Portman’s powerful ability to visually express a mental transition into hell. Natalie Portman is able to transform herself from a childlike innocent into a raging, sexually experimenting, dark young woman.
What made me take note of this film, in comparison to other greats of 2010, is how much Natalie Portman has truly invested in her acting. She no longer plays the part but is the part. She becomes the character she plays, literally.
Notwithstanding, the ballet choreography only adds to the realism in the film. The last 20 minutes are gut-wrenching perfection that will have your heart beating wildly. True madness has never before been portrayed both so subtly and violently on screen. Piercing psychosis and the toll that ballet takes on Nina’s body, mixed with blaring classical music, are definitely a way to enthuse and enliven an already interested audience.
I absolutely recommend you see this film in theaters and would certainly recommend it for the Oscar’s Best Picture.