BLACK SWAN

“We all know the story. Virginal girl, pure and sweet, trapped in the body of a swan. She desires freedom, but only true love can break the spell. Her wish is nearly granted in the form of a prince. But, before he can declare his love, the lustful twin, the Black Swan, tricks and seduces him. Devastated, the White Swan leaps off a cliff, killing herself and, in death, finds freedom”. ~Thomas Leroy

Black Swan is a psychological thriller about a sheltered, single-minded, perfection seeking ballerina, played by Natalie Portman who has been chosen to play a role which embodies both good and evil. Whilst she can play the "good" very well, she needs to change herself in order to do justice to the "evil".It is a modern retelling of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s classic ballet, Swan Lake.

Thomas, the ballet director, casts Nina (Portman) for the role of the Swan Queen. But to give a flawless performance, she must be able to play the role of the Black Swan as well as the White Swan (which is not a problem for her). The Black Swan requires the dancer to be twisted, sexual and dangerous which is everything that Nina isn't. 

Thomas tries to create in Nina a new, aggressive and sexual alter-ego.  As the Black Swan grows in power, Nina starts hallucinating physical mutations on her body. The only person who realises Nina's transformation is her dominating mother, who tries to repress it and fears that it will cause her harm. Mirrors are used throughout the movie to symbolically reflect the true state of Nina’s psyche. As her metamorphosis advances, Nina realizes that a totally separate entity is living within her which is beyond her control. 

Right before her big performance as the Black Swan, Nina fights against herself in her dressing room. During the fight between Nina and the Black Swan, a mirror breaks, representing the collapse of the psychological boundary separating both entities. By shattering the mirror, Nina becomes the Black Swan. 

It is a psychological thriller and would be a shame if I spelled out the end too. You can't give this movie an average rating, it is either good or bad. You either like it or you don't. But even for that, one has to see it...(not meant for children though...not at all). There are a few disturbing scenes though, especially ones which show mutations on the body.

The movie is well crafted but it wouldn't have worked without Portman. She definately gets my vote for the Oscar!