The Black Swan 2010
Black Swan is a 2010 American psychological thriller and horror film directed by Darren Aronofsky and starring Natalie Portman, Vincent Cassel, and Mila Kunis.
The plot revolves around a production of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake ballet by a prestigious New York City company. The production requires a ballerina to play both the innocent and fragile White Swan, for which the committed dancer Nina (Portman) is a perfect fit, as well as the dark and sensual Black Swan, which are qualities embodied by the new arrival Lily (Kunis). When the two dancers compete for the part, the pressure causes Nina to gradually lose her tenuous grip on reality as she descends into a living nightmare.
Physiological and Psychological symptoms of stress are evidently visible in 'Nina' (Portman), as she experiences events that threaten her comfortability. The trailer of the movie reveals a gradual increase of psychological disorientated behaviour as Nina can no longer function properly. The hopes and desires set in Nina's heart are achievable because she is 'the most dedicated dancer in the company'. The 'craziest dream...about a girl who was turned into a swan' became Nina's reality as her mind becomes so overwhelmed in stress that her perceptions of reality are severally deceiving. Nina, a shy and fragile young woman is chosen to play the role of the Swan Queen and must therefore embody both the pure White Swan and the evil Black Swan. Her quest for perfection as a ballet dancer leads her to experience, in her everyday life, the transformation experienced by the White Swan in the ballet’s story.The events of Nina’s daily life therefore mirror the story of the character she takes on as a ballet dancer, ultimately leading to confusion and, as the line between reality and fiction blurs, to apparent insanity.
A promotional poster for Black Swan.
Nina (played by Natalie Portman) is
shown with a crack through her face,
representing the fracturing of her personality,
an important concept and symbol of mind control.
The plot revolves around a production of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake ballet by a prestigious New York City company. The production requires a ballerina to play both the innocent and fragile White Swan, for which the committed dancer Nina (Portman) is a perfect fit, as well as the dark and sensual Black Swan, which are qualities embodied by the new arrival Lily (Kunis). When the two dancers compete for the part, the pressure causes Nina to gradually lose her tenuous grip on reality as she descends into a living nightmare.
Physiological and Psychological symptoms of stress are evidently visible in 'Nina' (Portman), as she experiences events that threaten her comfortability. The trailer of the movie reveals a gradual increase of psychological disorientated behaviour as Nina can no longer function properly. The hopes and desires set in Nina's heart are achievable because she is 'the most dedicated dancer in the company'. The 'craziest dream...about a girl who was turned into a swan' became Nina's reality as her mind becomes so overwhelmed in stress that her perceptions of reality are severally deceiving. Nina, a shy and fragile young woman is chosen to play the role of the Swan Queen and must therefore embody both the pure White Swan and the evil Black Swan. Her quest for perfection as a ballet dancer leads her to experience, in her everyday life, the transformation experienced by the White Swan in the ballet’s story.The events of Nina’s daily life therefore mirror the story of the character she takes on as a ballet dancer, ultimately leading to confusion and, as the line between reality and fiction blurs, to apparent insanity.
A promotional poster for Black Swan.
Nina (played by Natalie Portman) is
shown with a crack through her face,
representing the fracturing of her personality,
an important concept and symbol of mind control.