When I was invited out to see one of the new buzz films Black Swan, I really had no idea what to expect. I had heard the name bandied about, always with something good to say, and I had seen that it was a ballet film, but I hadn’t even seen the trailer. After watching the trailer, I was underwhelmed, but I felt the same way based on the trailer for Inception, and was blown away by the film. Black Swan did the same. Who would’ve thought a ballet film could be this good?
Black Swan is about a ballet dancer in a major metropolis’ company, forever dancing on the side, never getting the spotlight she desires. She’s made the lead, Swan Queen, in the company’s new production of Swan Lake. The shy, timid girl is reluctant to stand up for herself, unwilling to let go of herself, but must do both of those to embody the Black Swan. Duelling personalities are at stake within her, as she must embody both the White and Black Swans, and that inner-turmoil drives her to insanity, and beyond.
To say this film is creepy and at points unwatchable is an understatement, but while you’re flinching away at the screen, you need to know what other torment and trauma is around the corner. The film defines the word “riveting” and is near perfect. The only thing that bothered me about the film was the severity of the shaky camerawork. Portman’s performance was incredible.