Aronofsky's Next -- Black Swan

[BLACK-SPIDEY]

The DVD Screener has leaked.

YES!!!!!! I mean,erm, that sounds.....ehem.....interesting.

 

[TheComicbookKid]

I certainly didn't hate it, but I'm not sure what I think. It's just there in my mind.

Natalie Portman does deserve that Oscar cause she's on screen every second and you are with her trying to figure out what the heck is going on. Major props to Vincent Cassel as well. He played that character borderline enough to keep you intrigued. Was he a perverted genius or a genius pervert.

How awesome is this sex scene I keep hearing about??

It's not as hot as you'd think because of what's going on during it.

 

[Marvolo]

I was hoping I could catch this in theaters, but its not looking like it. What is someones guess on when the Blu-ray will be out?

 

[SonikDeath]

Amazing Movie. Aronofsky is a great director, Wolverine should be awesome.
Surprised by how scary this was, like a horror movie.

 

[Assassin32]

It's not as hot as you'd think because of what's going on during it.

Incorrect. That makes it more hot.

 

[Solidus]

Finally I get to see this and True Grit tomorrow. I've avoided the hell out of this thread so not to be tempted by spoilers lol.

 

[Ender Durden]

I feel like i was the only one underwhelmed by this, and i was reeeaally looking forward to it. LOVED Wrestler and Requiem, and i even defended the Fountain to people, but this i found so basic and paint by numbers and the plot SO predictable that i came out very disappointed.
Performances were great sure, the score was great, it looked great and there was definitely some disturbing scenes along with some great funny bits here and there, but i dunno, maybe i just need to see it again much later on now that my expectations have dropped.

 

[BLACK-SPIDEY]

Saw it. 9/10

That girl has issues.....lots of issues....

 

[DACrowe]

She just needs a hug.

I personally consider it a happy ending, if still very tragic as well.

 

[flickchick85]

I personally consider it a happy ending, if still very tragic as well.

I agree. For some artists, [blackout]giving their lives for their art would be the ultimate dream. If they could choose how to go, that would be it. So in that sense, it's a happy ending for Nina, as she does seem finally content. But at the same, there's no way the kind of obsession that lead to that was healthy, and her upbringing was clearly to blame. She was, at the end of the day, a very disturbed girl. So there's some definite tragedy there, too. [/blackout]

By the way, I LOVE what you said about [blackout]the Black Swan being her "true" self that her mother never allowed her to be, and that the scratching represented it literally clawing its way out.[/blackout] I hadn't quite thought of it that way (though my interpretation was similar), but I just love that idea.

 

[DACrowe]

I agree. For some artists, [blackout]giving their lives for their art would be the ultimate dream. If they could choose how to go, that would be it. So in that sense, it's a happy ending for Nina, as she does seem finally content. But at the same, there's no way the kind of obsession that lead to that was healthy, and her upbringing was clearly to blame. She was, at the end of the day, a very disturbed girl. So there's some definite tragedy there, too. [/blackout]

By the way, I LOVE what you said about [blackout]the Black Swan being her "true" self that her mother never allowed her to be, and that the scratching represented it literally clawing its way out.[/blackout] I hadn't quite thought of it that way (though my interpretation was similar), but I just love that idea.

Thanks. I like to think of it as kind of the ultimate macabre fairy tale (or some form of mythic, epic storytelling) of an artist giving into her art and giving her entire being to perfecting the craft.

But when you think about what is mentally happening to her, it has to be be a bit deeper than her just being nuts because of a a terrible upbringing...though that is the obvious root of her problems. [blackout]The inexplicable scratches and the feathers that grow out of them, as well as her having to literally and figuratively kill herself before she could become the Black Swan, drives me to think there is something inside of her. The woman trapped in the girl, who has been repressed for so long she is going to be a violent force when she comes out. Somehow Nina knew that and feared it, but finally embraced it.[/blackout]

And it made her perfect. I just wonder what's going to happen to that ballet company now after the HEADLINES that follow? I mean, there's no such thing as bad press, right? Right?

 

[Figs]

It's not as hot as you'd think because of what's going on during it.

Personally I preferred the solo scene more.

 

[TheComicbookKid]

Incorrect. That makes it more hot.

Now we all know your deep,dark kinky fetish!

Personally I preferred the solo scene more.

Yep. Right up until the end when I almost LOL in embarassment for her
http://img401.imageshack.us/i/brittaembarassed.gif/

 

[Asr]

This movie blew me away from the sheer intensity of Aronofsky's directing & Natalie's performance. It was one of those movies where you catch your breath when it's over. The "horror" elements of the movie were also really freaky & disturbing! Even if the horror elements were mostly hallucinations, they were still scary! I mean moments like the paintings in her mom's room, when she sunk underwater in the bathtub, the "leg break", etc. Even something like the scene where she was uh, "touching herself" was scary when we suddenly see who else is in the room. That mom creeped me out the second she showed up in the movie and never stopped creeping me out!

I have to admit the nervous energy in Natalie's character got kinda tiresome after a while and I wanted to see the "black swan" come out earlier, but I guess that was delayed on purpose to make the climax stand out even more. Natalie did really well with the nervous energy too, it really put me on edge throughout the movie. I haven't seen too many of her movies but I'd definitely say this was her best acting yet, it was downright unsettling, creepy, and fascinating all at the same time.

I wasn't expecting Vincent Cassel (ok so I didn't know much about the movie going in) but he was awesomely creepy too, in a different way. I think the most creepy scene with him that I remember was the dialog between him and Natalie's character in his apartment.

The classical-music score totally fit the movie too and was amazingly well done. It made the movie feel that much more dramatic & poetic.

Oh and Mila Kunis was totally hot.

 

[flickchick85]

Thanks. I like to think of it as kind of the ultimate macabre fairy tale (or some form of mythic, epic storytelling) of an artist giving into her art and giving her entire being to perfecting the craft.

Haha, these are the exact words I used to describe it to my mom (who would never watch something like this so I wasn't worried about spoiling it for her) after I first saw it a few weeks ago, except instead of "macabre," I said "twisted." But yeah, it's totally some kind of dark fairy tale.

But when you think about what is mentally happening to her, it has to be be a bit deeper than her just being nuts because of a a terrible upbringing...though that is the obvious root of her problems. [blackout]The inexplicable scratches and the feathers that grow out of them, as well as her having to literally and figuratively kill herself before she could become the Black Swan, drives me to think there is something inside of her. The woman trapped in the girl, who has been repressed for so long she is going to be a violent force when she comes out. Somehow Nina knew that and feared it, but finally embraced it.[/blackout]

I certainly didn't mean she was just [blackout]"nuts" because of her upbringing - I was saying the reason she was the woman trapped in the girl, her obsession with artistic perfection and her paranoia are all direct results of her upbringing. It turned her into a repressed woman-child, and a dancer with perfect technique, yet it actually held her back from being the spirited, passionate artist she could have been...until the end when she broke free. So yes, I'd say there was something inside of her all along, but it was due to her upbringing that it remained repressed for so long and ultimately broke out and manifested itself in this violent, terrifying way. If she'd been free from the beginning, she'd probably just be a brilliant, passionate, well-adjusted artist at this point.[/blackout]

I just wonder what's going to happen to that ballet company now after the HEADLINES that follow? I mean, there's no such thing as bad press, right? Right?

Hehe, I had the same thoughts. I was even straining my ears at the end to hear if the audience would react once they [blackout]started to figure out something was wrong.[/blackout] It's probably for the best that the credits rolled when they did.

 

[Hunter Rider]

I saw it tonight, from the moment we see Natalie Portman's Nina cracking her ankles and toes as she got ready, it's clear this will be another movie from Aronofsky that takes a look at the ugly side of something presented as glamorous.

The film could be described as a psychological drama but the way Aronofsky visually represents Nina's decline into madness is more haunting and disturbing than many horror films. I also felt the way in which he cast just enough doubt over whether Lilly was preying on Nina's breakdown and forcing it along, gave the film an extra edge.

Natalie Portman gives a fearless performance that may be the finest of her career, totally vulnerable and raw. We don't get to know much about Nina other than the allusion to her overbearing mother being the root of why she is frigid and unstable, however Portman dives head first into exploring Nina's pressure derived psychological issues and awakening sexuality.

Vincent Cassel is pretty good in the role of Thomas, a stereotypical sleazy artistic director and Barbara Hershey is solid as Nina's possessive mother who is trying to live her life through her daughter. This is the first thing I have seen Mila Kunis in so I can't compare it to her other performances, but she was good here, representing the sexual counterpoint to Portman's frigid Nina, can't say I've ever seen a giant back tattoo on a Ballet dancer before though.

I thought the score was fantastic and incorporated well into the film to give many scenes the same kind of dramatic punch as an actual Ballet would have.

The use of the over the shoulder camera following Nina reminded me of 'The Wrestler' as did the ending, however this film does not have the heart of that one and is more cold and detached. I also wouldn't say it is as powerful as 'Requiem for a Dream'.

The film is not particularly complicated once you get to the end, although as I mentioned Aronofsky does a great job of inserting enough doubt over exactly what of the things you are seeing are real, however it is an excellent visual and visceral exploration of a person's mental breakdown, as the pressure of expectation comes to a head on the back of a sheltered and naive life with only one relationship and goal in it.

8/10

 

[Tron Bonne]

Finally got to see it, and I was pretty blown away. Honestly, may very well be my favorite of the year. I was kind of thinking it wouldn't live up to expectations based on all this ridiculous hype surrounding it, but it did so, and excelled.

Probably the thing that jumped out to me the most was the subtle echoing of the late Satoshi Kon's Perfect Blue (the two leads share a name, which kind of turned on the bell first). A story that seems entirely simple and predictable, but upon further examination unearths that identity is never either of those. I know Aronofsky is aware of the film (he actually bought the remake rights for a scene in Requiem for a Dream), and it just explores something so fascinating and complex you can even lose yourself in it. I look forward to home video release.

And the camera work was delicious. Utterly delicious.

 

[DACrowe]

Haha, these are the exact words I used to describe it to my mom (who would never watch something like this so I wasn't worried about spoiling it for her) after I first saw it a few weeks ago, except instead of "macabre," I said "twisted." But yeah, it's totally some kind of dark fairy tale.

What a twistingly macabre coincidence.....too much?

I certainly didn't mean she was just [blackout]"nuts" because of her upbringing - I was saying the reason she was the woman trapped in the girl, her obsession with artistic perfection and her paranoia are all direct results of her upbringing. It turned her into a repressed woman-child, and a dancer with perfect technique, yet it actually held her back from being the spirited, passionate artist she could have been...until the end when she broke free. So yes, I'd say there was something inside of her all along, but it was due to her upbringing that it remained repressed for so long and ultimately broke out and manifested itself in this violent, terrifying way. If she'd been free from the beginning, she'd probably just be a brilliant, passionate, well-adjusted artist at this point.[/blackout]

I mostly agree. However, I think there is some inevitability at play here in the most classic ballet/fairy tale way. She knew that her repressed self would complete her, [blackout]but also destroy her (hence her self-mutilation history the mother hints at). There is a tragic sense of destiny and irony at play here that she has to embrace. Hence while sad in some ways, it is a happy ending. She is relieved to be whole and accept it so...gracefully. I think gracefully is a very good word for how she comes to terms with it all during the final act of Swan Lake.[/blackout]

Hehe, I had the same thoughts. I was even straining my ears at the end to hear if the audience would react once they [blackout]started to figure out something was wrong.[/blackout] It's probably for the best that the credits rolled when they did.

Part of me thinks they would at first react with shock, horror. Scandal in the newspapers. However, [blackout]arts is where tragedy can be exploited as an end to itself. I can foresee the audience that was there saying that the one-time prima ballerina drove herself mad (and to her death) for a wonderful result. She was the best black swan they've ever seen, etc. etc. Whether it is true or not, that does not matter. It helps that we never saw Nina perform the most difficult moments that the role requires, but apparently she executed them flawlessly. It will become the stuff of ballet legend and could lead to an influx of ticket sales. Dying could in the end be the best thing to happen to Nina's legacy and to that company[/blackout]....or not.

 

[DACrowe]

I thought the score was fantastic and incorporated well into the film to give many scenes the same kind of dramatic punch as an actual Ballet would have.

Indeed. It is not surprising that much of the score would consist of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake given the subject matter. However, the way it was implemented was brilliant. The less famous themes were incorporated throughout the beginning. We don't hear the most famous movement, or rather what we all know as the Swan Lake Theme, until the climax of the movie. And when they use it for when [blackout]Nina pulls that shard of mirror out of her own stomach, realizes she is going to die, and then immediately buries it to complete her performance...the way it is paced to that theme is amazing. As well as staging the climactic dance around that theme at the end before she kills herself (which from what I understand is not how it is supposed to be staged, but since I'm not a ballet person I don't care) was brilliant.[/blackout]

The use of the over the shoulder camera following Nina reminded me of 'The Wrestler' as did the ending, however this film does not have the heart of that one and is more cold and detached. I also wouldn't say it is as powerful as 'Requiem for a Dream'.

To each their own, but I preferred Black Swan to The Wrestler. Randy is more sympathetic than Nina (in no small part because his situation is so hopeless). But the conventions of naturalism and indie cinema I thought really kind of restrained Aronofsky. I like it when he can color outside the lines. In Black Swan's case, melodrama is not a bad thing if it contributes to the mood of the movie.

 

[flickchick85]

What a twistingly macabre coincidence.....too much?

Just a tad.

I mostly agree. However, I think there is some inevitability at play here in the most classic ballet/fairy tale way. She knew that her repressed self would complete her, [blackout]but also destroy her (hence her self-mutilation history the mother hints at). There is a tragic sense of destiny and irony at play here that she has to embrace. Hence while sad in some ways, it is a happy ending. She is relieved to be whole and accept it so...gracefully. I think gracefully is a very good word for how she comes to terms with it all during the final act of Swan Lake.[/blackout]

Oooh, I see what you're saying now. I didn't read it that way...but I like it.

Part of me thinks they would at first react with shock, horror. Scandal in the newspapers. However, [blackout]arts is where tragedy can be exploited as an end to itself. I can foresee the audience that was there saying that the one-time prima ballerina drove herself mad (and to her death) for a wonderful result. She was the best black swan they've ever seen, etc. etc. Whether it is true or not, that does not matter. It helps that we never saw Nina perform the most difficult moments that the role requires, but apparently she executed them flawlessly. It will become the stuff of ballet legend and could lead to an influx of ticket sales. Dying could in the end be the best thing to happen to Nina's legacy and to that company[/blackout]....or not.

Ya know, I think if this were a one-time incident, it would end up being exploited into some kind of great legacy for them and turn into big business, [blackout]but considering their previous prima ballerina just went through a similar downward spiral, I'd say it's mostly just bad news all around for the company.[/blackout]

 

[Hunter Rider]

Indeed. It is not surprising that much of the score would consist of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake given the subject matter. However, the way it was implemented was brilliant. The less famous themes were incorporated throughout the beginning. We don't hear the most famous movement, or rather what we all know as the Swan Lake Theme, until the climax of the movie. And when they use it for when [blackout]Nina pulls that shard of mirror out of her own stomach, realizes she is going to die, and then immediately buries it to complete her performance...the way it is paced to that theme is amazing. As well as staging the climactic dance around that theme at the end before she kills herself (which from what I understand is not how it is supposed to be staged, but since I'm not a ballet person I don't care) was brilliant.[/blackout]

I agree, I don't know anything about Ballet myself (Although I of course know the main Swan Lake theme) however if Arnofosky twisted it and used artistic license to enrich the narrative impact I see it as a good choice.

To each their own, but I preferred Black Swan to The Wrestler. Randy is more sympathetic than Nina (in no small part because his situation is so hopeless). But the conventions of naturalism and indie cinema I thought really kind of restrained Aronofsky. I like it when he can color outside the lines. In Black Swan's case, melodrama is not a bad thing if it contributes to the mood of the movie.

I can see where you are coming from, Black Swan certainly gave him more room to flourish visually in depicting his subject matter, but for me at the core of any film I need to care about the central character, with Randy I grew fond of him over the colurse of the film and felt sad when his inevitable fate came to pass as I was invested in him, however with Nina, while I was intrigued by what was happening to her, I really didn't care about what was happening to her on anymnore than a basic human compassion level.

 

[Sgt.Pepper]

I had high expectations for this movie and I'm very glad it live up to it.
I was completely stunned by the time the movie ended. I know I've just seen another brilliant masterpiece from Darren Aronofsky again.
The plot is top-notch and you can't help but get captivate by it.

Natalie Portman's performance as Nina Sayers is absolutely amazing.
She is truly outstanding as a innocent and perfectionist ballerina. She deserved an Oscar for this excellent performance.
The rest of the cast is amazing but Portman really outshine them all.

The production design is gorgeous and I loved the contrast between black and white.
Clint Mansell's score is magnificent and eerie. It works perfectly with the movie.

I was hypnotize by the climax. It was both intense and breathtaking during the whole scene. It is a powerful climax only Aronofsky could deliver.

Overall Black Swan is a jaw-dropping and thrilling experience from the beginning to the end.
It is my favorite movie of the year and undoubtedly among the best of 2010.

5/5

 

[GhostPoet]

hmm...*yawn* not really my movie I guess. :/

 

[danoyse]

What amazed me about the use of the Swan Lake theme was how you could hear that same score in a movie like Billy Elliot where it's actually uplifting (it's played as the adult Billy takes to the stage), and hear in a movie like this where it's bound to haunt your nightmares for weeks.

 

[DACrowe]

What amazed me about the use of the Swan Lake theme was how you could hear that same score in a movie like Billy Elliot where it's actually uplifting (it's played as the adult Billy takes to the stage), and hear in a movie like this where it's bound to haunt your nightmares for weeks.

Yeah, I saw the Billy Elliot musical for the first time last month (and yes, the Swan Lake flying number is the best part) so I was aware of how differently it was used here. But as lovely as Tchaikovsky's music is, there is something a bit sinister or supernaturally melodramatic about it. Though I've never seen Swan Lake performed, it is used to note that the vil bad guy-thing has appeared and is doing bad things in the ballet. I always associate it with Dracula, personally. If you've ever seen the original Bela Lugosi Dracula (1931), you might remember the only music in it is the main theme from Swan Lake played over the opening credits. And for some reason...melodramatic fairy tale music from Eastern Europe (Russia kind of counts) fit with the Count very well. That's why in Tim Burton's Ed Wood whenever Bela Lugosi (Martin Landau) would do something dramatic, the score would play a few notes from that Swan Lake theme.

So, it is interesting to see how that music has been reinterpreted countless times over the years. However, outside of the ballet itself, I think Darren Aronofsky's movie is destined to become a classic and will redefine how people think of that music yet again.