That Way Madness Lies... Black Swan

"True! --nervous --very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am; but why will you say that I am mad? The disease had sharpened my senses --not destroyed --not dulled them... I heard all things in the heaven and in the earth. I heard many things in hell. How, then, am I mad?" That opening passage from Poe's The Tell-Tale Heart would also be an apt prologue for Darren Aronofsky's fifth film, Black Swan. It tells the tale of Nina, the new and unproven prima ballerina of a New York CIty Ballet company and her pursuit for perfection.

When Thomas, the Ballet's director, played with a stern fierceness by Vincent Cassel, says of his choice for their next production, Swan Lake, that it's been done to death, he could be talking about the plot of Black Swan. It's a story we all know: a young rising star tries to deal with the pressure her new role puts on her, a demanding director, and rivals within the company. But, Thomas goes on to say, we haven't seen it like this: stripped down, visceral. That also applies to Black Swan particularly in its visual style which resembles Aronofsky's 2008 film, The Wrestler. The similarities don't end there. Aside from the stripped down visual style, both Black Swan and The Wrestler take a visceral, hard edged look at the backstage world of stage performers. Both movies are also character pieces about people so devoted to their chosen profession that it borders on obsession.

The centerpiece of the film is Natalie Portman's performance as Nina, the young ballerina recently made the star of her company. "I just want to be perfect," Nina says early in the film. Her technique, her innocence, make her perfect for the part of the White Swan, but her director thinks she lacks the passion to tackle the more difficult role of the Black Swan. Nina is a young woman seemingly kept in girlhood by her domineering mother. Lily, played quite well by Mila Kunis, is the new dancer in the company and may be Nina's new friend and, possibly, her rival. She embodies the confidence and sexuality Nina lacks.

An entire decade ago there was a film called Center Stage that made itself up to be the behind the curtain drama of what really goes on in the lives of young dancers but don't be fooled, it's all glossed over pettiness. I don't doubt there is some pettiness in the world of ballet but that film fails on any substantial level. With Black Swan we get to see the physical punishment these girls put their bodies through for their art and we see at least Nina's psychological punishment. She slips into paranoid fantasy and we, the audience, are just as unsure about what's happening as she is.

This movie isn't about seeing Nina break down because of stress and anxiety. She descends into madness because down that path lies what she most desires: perfection. She doesn't "lose it" because of her role, she "loses it" for her role; to achieve the ultimate performance of her career.

I've pointed out some of the similarities this film has with The Wrestler, but it's also like Aronofsky's The Fountain in its objective showcase of a metaphysical, cerebral journey and obsession of a character that has no singular explanation. There is no scene in either movie where things are spelled out for us. Though Black Swan is not nearly as open-ended.

Whatever accolades Portman has earned, or will earn, have come very deservedly. She gives an incredible performance; little of which has to do with the actual ballet training she did. She captures the naive, fragile side of Nina; the terror, fear, and paranoia of a ballet star; and the budding rebellion and passion of the Black Swan. I was fortunate enough to see Black Swan at the Austin Film Festival where it was well received by thunderous applause and a standing ovation. I didn't stand but I did applaud thunderously. I really enjoyed it, but I wasn't sure how this movie would hold up on a second viewing. I saw it again a couple of weeks ago and I can't wait to see it again. Black Swan is filled with surreal, haunting imagery. It's beautiful in an almost disturbing way. It's definitely not for everyone but you should be able to tell that from the poster and the trailers. But I'm telling everyone I know to watch it for the almost gritty backstage look at a ballet production, the wonderful dancing, and for Natalie Portman's stellar, "all-in" performance.