Black Swan Essay Example

lead for Swan Lake.

His attention fixates on hesitant Nina as he informs her that the most demanding obstacle lies in portraying the antagonist's alter ego, the "Black Swan". She must uncover her concealed, more provocative demeanor. Thomas invites Nina to his place for a private rendezvous.

To develop the role, he instructs her to go home and touch herself. Touching Thomas is also implied. This is not based on anything by Noel Streatfeild. Furthermore, Thomas encourages Nina to admire the company's new ballerina: funky free spirit and Olympic-standard minx Lily (Mila Kunis), who helps unlock Nina's life-force with seductive overtures of friendship, and more. However, does Lily simply want to steal Nina's role? As Nina's anxiety intensifies, she is worried about a weird feathery skin-rash and becomes convinced that her reflection in the mirror continues to stare at her after she has turned away.

Black Swan, a study of female breakdown, can be considered as exceptional as Polanski's Repulsion. However, its creepy Manhattan interiors, closeup camera movements, and encircling conspiracy of evil resemble Rosemary's Baby. Cinematographer Matthew Libatique's continuous shot of Nina making out with a stranger in a club, awakening to her actions, and disorientedly wandering through murky corridors and into the night air, blurs the line between inside and outside, creating a claustrophobic atmosphere. Comparable to Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger's The Red Shoes, the character Thomas is influenced by Anton Walbrook's martinet, while Nina's point of view pirouette-whirl in rehearsal is reminiscent of Powell and Pressburger. Moreover, there are hints of John Landis's An American Werewolf in London. Interestingly, Swan Lake theme is featured in both Black Swan and Xavier Beauvois's Of

Gods and Men, however, in Black Swan it plays a more grandiose and excessive role that aligns with the turmoil in Nina's mind.The Swan Lake theme is present in both instances of the story. It is played on the monks' old tape machine and in the orchestra pit. The music is technically diegetic in both cases.

However, Aronofsky enjoys playing the Swan Lake theme loudly. It may be justified to do so as Tchaikovsky's rich and direct music requires a punch. The volume at which the Swan Lake theme is played in this film is equivalent to Motorhead's level. As a result, I left the theater with blood dripping from my ears. While Black Swan exaggerates and exaggerates some of its effects, it remains deeply and sensually enjoyable. The fascination lies in witnessing Portman surrendering to madness and witnessing her face transform into a horror-mask resembling a nightmarish version of Maria Callas. It is an exhilarating, insane, and often terrifying experience.

The text discusses the connection between the movie and religion, specifically Buddhism. It suggests that the movie reflects the concept of NIBBANA, which is the process of death and rebirth that ultimately leads to enlightenment. Buddhists consider this process to be their ultimate goal. The text explains that NIBBANA is reached when an individual attains a deep understanding of reality, something that may take many generations or even thousands of years to achieve. In the movie, this idea is communicated through the character's transformation from a tamed and fragile white swan to someone who is perfect, as she says "I felt it" at the beginning and "Perfect" in the middle.

The protagonist in the story is portrayed

as both the white swan and the black swan, symbolizing a balanced life that aligns with daily existence. In the end, she utters the words "it was perfect" as she eliminates the white swan to become solely the black swan, finally comprehending the reality of life. She comes to realize that it was perfect to embody both the white and black swan at once. However, she faces a predicament as she possesses qualities of both swans and must ultimately choose one. Influenced by others, her character drastically transforms into the black swan completely, although she later recognizes the truth. Regrettably, it is too late.

Overall, the message conveyed is to avoid living in extremes - neither in a delicate, unrealistic world nor in a cruel, malevolent one. Instead, it depicts the importance of leading a balanced life, embodying both the qualities of the Black Swan and the White Swan. The film portrays Nina as a vulnerable character who is depicted as innocent, scared, and emotionally distant. She is influenced and controlled by her mother (played by Barbara Hershey), who sacrificed her own dancing career for Nina's.

Rick Instrell’s analysis of Black Swan discusses the use of Jungian archetypes, or Storytelling archetypes, to describe the roles of the characters in the film. According to Instrell, the following archetypes are present:

• The Bad Mother (known for hindering development)

The Shadow (often seen in the villain/s, represents the dark, undeveloped side of personality)

Descriptions

Nina is portrayed as naive, fearful, and frigid. She is influenced by her controlling mother (Barbara Hershey) who gave up dancing for her. Rick Instrell’s analysis of Black Swan discusses the use of Jungian archetypes, or Storytelling archetypes, to describe the roles of the other characters in the film. According to Instrell, the following archetypes are present:

• The Bad Mother (known for hindering development)
• The Shadow (often seen in the villain/s, represents the dark, undeveloped side of personality)
• The Wise Old Man (serves

as a mentor)

Descriptions

In the end, her face is finally revealed.

At the airport, there is a shift in perspective as the scene portrays a potential threat towards Nina. Drawing inspiration from the story of Swan Lake, it is likely that this figure represents the sorcerer who chooses to curse Nina, transforming her into a swan. This scene stands out as one of the few moments in the film where Nina's viewpoint is not portrayed. By showing Nina with her back turned to us, it emphasizes that this cannot be her perspective as she is unaware of what lurks behind her. It serves as an early example of Nina's continuous sensation of being pursued.

To emphasize this, Aronofsky employs a Follow Shot technique frequently throughout the movie. The camera demonstrates a handheld effect as it follows a dark figure walking towards Nina. In the opening minutes of the film, there are numerous shots where the camera appears to pursue or follow Nina. This same style can be observed between 0:45-1:06, where the camera tracks the movements of Nina's feet, as previously mentioned.

The camera follows various movements in different shots, such as the feet and the dark figure. However, when the camera follows Nina from behind, the effect is distinctive. This technique

is also employed in all of Nina's dancing scenes. (2) During one of Natalie Portman's interviews, she explains the need to "dance with the camera".