Black Swan: Edgy and Beautiful

So, this happened a few weeks ago, but I did get to go and see "Black Swan!" I was lucky enough for it to be playing in Bryn Mawr the night I was visiting my best friend in her new digs, and Bryn Mawr has a nice, vintage-y theater at that, but that's beside the point. In my opinion, the film was definitely worth all the hype, and it didn't let me down. I started off the movie sitting upright in my chair; by the end of the movie, I found myself huddled down, my knees nearly on level with my chin. I guess you could say the movie freaked me out.

Poor Nina. Played by the much-improved Natalie Portman, Nina Sayers is the ballerina fighting to keep her role in the lead of her company's new production of "Swan Lake," double cast as the virginal white swan and the seductive black swan. It is the second of those roles that is presenting the real challenge. Nina must fight to lose control of herself in the role without losing herself completely, and for most of the film, we're not sure if she's actually done that. For most of the film, we're not sure if what we're seeing is real to everyone or only real to Nina herself, and the persona that she has created through her struggle. The biggest challengers to her role are the newcomer Lily, marvelously played by Mila Kunis, the aging ballerina whom she replaced, played by Winona Ryder, and of course, Nina herself.

The film does, of course, have a touch of the supernatural to it, but only in regard to Nina, which further reflects her unstable, overimaginative state. There are moment in which we are witnesses to Nina's literal transformation into the black swan (the scene in the trailer, in which she pulls a black feather from her back, being just one of them), but the film doesn't pretend to be something it's not. The only supernatural scenes take in Nina's imagination, which is where her real struggle lies. And her director and choreographer Thomas tells her this: "The only person holding you back is you."

Speaking of Thomas, Vincent Cassel played his part as both prince charming and wicked sorceror beautifully, serving as Nina's greatest inspiration and ultimately, her destructor. It is obvious from the beginning that there is sexual tension between the two characters, but any encounters, while passionate, are very brief. When Nina feels her grip on Thomas slipping, she is provided with yet another reason to try to throw herself completely into the black swan's role. At one point, Nina is taunted by the much more sexual Lily, or perhaps just her vision of Lily: "Maybe I should dance the black swan for you?" Nina, in a violent rage, hisses back at her, "It's my turn."

While both of the lead actresses had to lose a lot of weight for their respective roles, it was Natalie/Nina's appearance that shocked me the most; there are scenes in the film where she looks positively skeletal. As for Lily, I didn't realize just how small she was; I read recently that Mila went down to just 95 pounds for the role. Good lord. I'm glad to see that they're both eating properly now.

The film has already received Golden Globe nominations, and there is talk already of Oscar nods; I for one will be rooting the film on during Oscar night if there are nominations. I'd like to see it again, and try and catch some things that I missed!

So, does Nina triumph in the end or not? Does she get to be perfect, like the aging ballerina she so admired? You decide. You'll still be thinking about it after you leave the theater. Trust me.