Black Swan

I have neglected this blog for far too long.  It is only appropriate then to start things up again with my favorite film from last year.  This movie left me with a feeling of exhilaration I haven't experienced since I was a child. 

It's about the quest for perfection.  We all strive for it in some area of our lives whether it be the perfect job, the perfect home, or the perfect relationship.  For Nina Sayers this quest is in the form of becoming the perfect ballerina in her company's version of Swan Lake.  Nina has been cast as the Swan Queen and must portray both the white swan and her dark twin the black swan.  The white swan is not the problem.  Nina is a very innocent and naive girl still living with her mother in the apartment she grew up in.  Her bedroom has probably remained the same since she was 10 years old and her mother insists on doing everything for her. For Nina it is the black swan she has no connection with; the seductress who uses passion as a weapon to steal the love of her white twin.  In essence we have a young woman who has never truly matured thrust into a very adult role on stage.

The film starts out a bit grainy with a handheld camera.  It progresses to wide sweeping shots and clearer images.  This seems to reflect the growth (or unraveling one could say) of Nina's character.  There are many instances where the viewer is confused as to what is real and what is not.  Is someone playing with Nina?  Is she going crazy?  The answer is clear in the end and I was left gasping for air.  This wasn't because of the ending itself (a fairly straightforward one) but because of the dizzying and wonderful Swan Lake performance.

Black Swan is ripe with sexual tension.  Nina has repressed this side of herself for so long and it is obvious she has little experience with sex.  This changes over the course of the film and as Nina becomes more in touch with her sexuality (no pun intended) she begins her transformation into the black swan.  Sex is a powerful thing and Nina's new exploration of it allows her to be more free with her black swan performance.  I have heard critiques about this aspect of the film and people saying it's a little too "women just need a good fuck" but I feel it goes beyond that.  All of these changes and new feelings in Nina only fuel her already delusional goal of being absolutely perfect.  Striving to better oneself is not a bad thing but placing perfection above all others things is all-consuming.