When a film is so tense that you can barely watch and yet you’re disappointed when the credits roll, take notice. When it’s also packed with creative direction, top-class performances and a fascinating look at the nature of fame and split personality, you’re onto a winner. And when a much-hyped lesbian scene between Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis isn’t even a highlight, bet the house.
A quick look at director Aranofsky’s back catalogue – particularly his superb previous film and companion piece, The Wrestler – is enough to heighten expectations for this one. But in crafting a final product that’s part arthouse, part blockbuster, and all brilliant, even these have been easily surpassed. The tale, built around a performance of Tchaikovsky ballet Swan Lake, concerns aspiring dancer Nina Sayers (Portman), a surprise choice for the lead role of the Swan Queen.
Nina is ecstatic with the promotion in her dream casting and nervous about taking on such a complex part – a feeling that isn’t eased by her demanding (and slightly grumpy) director, overbearing mother, and psychotic veteran’s replaced as the star. Things are also complicated by the arrival of backing dancer Lily (Kunis), whose outgoing nature and overt sexuality are at odds with the prudish and bashful Nina.
But her main barrier to success is herself, both in terms of overcoming her physical insecurities and, more cripplingly, her raging paranoia. Being thrust into the limelight sets her off on a spiral of schizophrenic instability, manifesting itself both physically and in clashes with family and colleagues. Portman conveys all of this mania brilliantly in a demanding role, and she’s more than ably backed up by the supporting cast.
But the real star is Aronofsky’s direction. The middle act is some of the most compulsively uncomfortable viewings I can remember, and the whole piece is simultaneously beautifully shot and relentlessly off-putting. Clint Mansell’s soundtrack contributes immensely to the creeping unease, playing against the classical score of the ballet to underline the stages of Nina’s dissolution.
Black Swan crescendoes as magnificently as the ballet it’s built on, Portman’s madness peaking to the extent that the lines between delusion and reality begin to blur. There might be times when you’ll be unsure as to what’s happening on screen, but that’s all part of the carefully choreographed dance. This film is a perfect balance of beauty and madness.
