Saturday, September 10, 2011

Review of Black Swan



Excellent Portrayal of a Complex Character: Innocent, passive aggressive, and insecure

So I finally watched Black Swan all the way through with my sister tonight. I knew Natalie Portman would be fantastic, and I can see how she won so many awards with this role.

Black Swan shows the highly competitive world of professional ballet, and how it can get to someone who is shooting past her prime, and someone else who's following in the same footsteps. (or ballet steps I should say).

As a professional musician, I totally identified with the pressures of rising above such a cut throat world. You can't let it get to you, but because it's so competitive and you work so hard, it's the only thing you have because you've sacrificed so much. Every little success and failure mean EVERYTHING. That's why I draw my line with flute sometimes, because if I really wanted to play at the top, I'd have to give up my sanity. I'd have to practice six to eight hours a day.

Nina does. She doesn't have any friends, or any semblance of a normal life. All she knows is dancing, and she covets the role of the black swan. She practices until her toe nails break and bleed. Ironically, she lacks the social experience to fully realize the part of the black swan. Her dancing is frigid, and she's too uptight to reach her potential.

Artful, both ugly and beautiful at times, and shocking, I was glued to the screen the entire time. I don't recommend this movie to anyone underage. If you're in the mood for a Disney movie or a comedy, then this one's not for you. If you're a writer like me, then this movie is an excellent example of a complex, compelling character.

5 comments:

Mary Gray said...

I'm almost astonished I haven't seen this yet. I've been wanting to see this for such a long time and it's in the Redbox. What's wrong with me??!

Thanks for the nudge. I WILL see this soon. :)

Beth Caudill said...

I have this on my to watch list when it hits the movie channels. I didn't want to pay full price for a depressing movie.

Budd said...

this movie was insane. So, was her mother real?

C D Meetens said...

I've been wondering about this film for a while, and your review has me torn over whether to see it or not. I like the idea of observing the character, but I'm not sure about the darkness pervading the film's plotline. I think wanting to watch the character will probably win though. Thanks for the review.

Damon said...

Black Swan was one of the best movies that I’ve seen. Natalie Portman portrays the Swan Queen and the Black Swan perfectly. Even though this movie confused me a little, I still really enjoyed it. I think I will be using my Blockbuster Movie Pass to rent it again! The Blockbuster Movie Pass I am talking about was released earlier this month. I love the Blockbuster Movie Pass because it gives customers a huge selection of DVDs like Black Swan, along with thousands of TV shows and games by mail. Since it is being offered by DISH Network (who is also my employer), there are 20 channels that are included with the Movie Pass in addition to the thousands of movies and shows that you can stream to your TV or PC! Blockbuster also has many stores that you can exchange DVDs at and Blu-Rays are included! For all that, $10 per month is a great deal!