Black Swan

Directed by Darren Aronofsky.

Darren Aronofsky has never been recognized for being the most subtle of directors. In Requiem for a Dream, Aronofsky used every possible cinematic resource to scream out loud 'drugs are bad'. In The Wrestler, he exposed the miserability of Randy 'The Ram' in all its splendor. Now, in Black Swan, he takes his 'not-sublety' to new levels. Just to make myself clear: I don't think that's bad. If you are in the mood for a subtle film, go see a Tarkovsky one. If you are in mood for a draaaaaaaama, go see Black Swan.

Nina (Natalie Portman) has just been selected to play the lead role in a new version of Tchaikovsky's ballet Swan Lake. The problem, says Thomas, the director, (Vincent Cassel) is that, while Nina is perfect to play the pure and virginal White Swan, she falls short when trying to play the enigmatic and sensuous Black Swan. To play the Black Swan, then, Nina has to embrace her dark side.

As I said, Black Swan is a draaaaaaama, and, at least in story, not a very original one. Think of All about Eve mixed with The red shoes (the inevitable ballet movie). The good news is that the movie doesn't try to hide its origins. It is a draaaaaaaama (yes, with all those a's) and it's proud of it. Like all good draaaaaaaaamas, it is exagerated, morbid and at times comes close to being ridiculous. But hey, it's all part of the show, and I must say, this is a pretty good one precisely because it screams everything out loud. For example, Lily (Mila Kunis) is another ballerina wanting the lead role in the play. She's everything Nina is not. She's loose and sexy. Nina is enormously attracted to her: she's her dark side. Nina is the White Swan, Lily is the Black Swan, cappicci? If this is not clear enough, here goes another hint: Nina is always wearing white or light colors, while Lily is always wearing dark ones. The movie, I insist, is not subtle at all, and this is one of the reasons why the draaaaaaama works so well.

Like all good draaaaaaamas, Black Swan also comes close to horror. Nina's mind is cracking, its horrors are unleashed now. How can she get away from her? This is where Aronofsky's talent for creating unsettling atmospheres shines. The movie is not a 'jump-of-your-seat' horror film, but a stressing one. This, combined with all the draaaaaama, creates a unique, if not precisely comfortable, film experience. Black Swan is one of the most satisfying draaaaaaamas I've seen in a while.

I would like to end this review with a praise to Natalie Portman. The movie relies heavily on her performance, and I think that with any other actress the movie would not have been quite successful. She manages to create a completely likeable character at the beginning, and to keep us enthrilled with her descense to madness. If a great actress is that one who pulls a great performance, then with this film, more than with any other (even more than with Closer) we can say that Natalie Portman is a great actress.