Directed by Darren Aronofsky, the film tells the story of ballet dancer Nina Sayers whose ambition is to play the main role in a production of Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake ballet. Starring Natalie Portman as Nina, Black Swan centres on passion, determination and artistic perfection. There is, however, the other side of the coin, as the young ballerina’s achieving perfection turns into an unhealthy obsession.
Back to the start, artistic director Thomas Leroy announces a casting for a new dancer to portray the dual role of the innocent White Swan and the sensual Black Swan. Although Nina excels at performing as the White Swan, she fails to personate the Black Swan. Disappointed in herself, Nina tries to persuade Thomas to give her the role, to which he responds with a forcible kiss. Nina bites him and runs away, only to discover the next day that she is on the cast list, which comes as a total surprise.
During rehearsals, Thomas introduces new dancer Lily to Nina and asks her to observe the performance of the younger girl. He marvels at Lily’s talent and ideal embodiment of the Black Swan, which makes Nina feel that her main lead may be at stake. At the same time, Nina gradually starts losing her grip on reality and experiencing hallucinations.
Black Swan is said to be one of the most intriguing psychological thriller of the 21st century. All the scenes are intensified by the darkly captivating soundtrack, created by Clint Mansell, which evokes a range of emotions, from alienation to empathy. The brilliant performance of Natalie Portman, who got an Oscar for that role, adds mystery to the film.
As Edgar Allan Poe once said: ‘All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream’. What makes then Black Swan so gripping is that some of the scenes border on imagination rather that focus purely on reality. Is then Nina Sayers’ dream to become the perfect Swan coming true or just living inside of her mind?
Dictionary:
starring – występować w roli głównej
the other side of the coin – druga strona medalu
announce – ogłaszać
portray – odgrywać role
excel – wyróżniać się
personate – wcielać się
persuade – przekonywać
forcible – wymuszony
cast list – obsada
rehearsal – próba
marvel – zachwycać się
embodiment – wcielenie
main lead – główna rola
at stake – zagrożony
gradually – stopniowo
grip – kontrola
captivating – urzekający
evoke – wywoływać
range – zakres
alienation – wyobcowanie
gripping – wciągający
border on – być na granicy
purely – wyłącznie
come true – spełniać się