black swan
The new film "Black Swan," directed by Darren Aronofsky and starring Natalie Portman, is a mesmerizing tale of a young woman's descent into fear and paranoia.
Portman plays Nina, a ballet dancer with a major company in New York City. As a sheltered good girl, Nina is naturally suited to the pure and intricate "White Swan" role in "Swan Lake." But that same leading part also requires her to portray the seductive and malicious "Black Swan." To nab the all-important spot, Nina must draw from the deep well of aggressive, passionate, and dark feelings flowing underneath her obedient, child-like persona.
That process unhinges Nina in a series of scary and heartbreaking scenes that leap between reality and psychosis. Her previously controlled and co-dependent relationship with her mother, a typical former-ballerina-turned-stage-mom (played by Barabara Hershey), explodes into a violent pas de duex. And Nina compulsively harms herself, scratching her back until she appears to have the wing-shaped ruptures of the swan she so desperately wants to become on stage.
Though the film's fantastical elements set it apart from a documentary-style expose of the dance world, it does convince viewers that the only reasonable outcome of that career path is mental illness of one form or another: The competition is relentless, the glory is short-lived, the regiment is literally disfiguring to one's body. Technical mastery is required, and yet, when in character, the dancer is expected to somehow forget the grueling years of training and appear spontaneous and free.
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Portman plays Nina, a ballet dancer with a major company in New York City. As a sheltered good girl, Nina is naturally suited to the pure and intricate "White Swan" role in "Swan Lake." But that same leading part also requires her to portray the seductive and malicious "Black Swan." To nab the all-important spot, Nina must draw from the deep well of aggressive, passionate, and dark feelings flowing underneath her obedient, child-like persona.
That process unhinges Nina in a series of scary and heartbreaking scenes that leap between reality and psychosis. Her previously controlled and co-dependent relationship with her mother, a typical former-ballerina-turned-stage-mom (played by Barabara Hershey), explodes into a violent pas de duex. And Nina compulsively harms herself, scratching her back until she appears to have the wing-shaped ruptures of the swan she so desperately wants to become on stage.
Though the film's fantastical elements set it apart from a documentary-style expose of the dance world, it does convince viewers that the only reasonable outcome of that career path is mental illness of one form or another: The competition is relentless, the glory is short-lived, the regiment is literally disfiguring to one's body. Technical mastery is required, and yet, when in character, the dancer is expected to somehow forget the grueling years of training and appear spontaneous and free.
Related Articles
How I Relate to “The Black Swan”
The Black Swan: A Lesson in Parent/Child Relationships
The Black Swan: A Lesson in Parent/Child Relationships
Real Housewives & Black Swan: Too Rich & Too Thin?
The Oscars 2011-- Black Swan: Body Image and Eating Disorders
Find a Therapist
Search for a mental health professional near you. Find Local:
Acupuncturists
Chiropractors
Massage Therapists