Black Swan Movie Review
When I posted a review after watching The Social Network, I wasn't really expecting many views but I was definitely surprised by how many people looked at it. Since that review did so well, I thought I would review a movie that I watched this past week on a whim, Black Swan. I was scrolling through my TV and noticed that all of these movies were free for around a week and I saw that Black Swan was listed as free on demand. I have wanted to see this movie for years because of what it was about and how great Natalie Portman is as well. I was expecting to love this movie and hopefully, my thoughts will be coherent enough to follow along.
Black Swan is a psychological horror film that came out in 2010. Directed by Darren Aronofsky, this film follows Nina Sayers (Natalie Portman) a ballerina who dances in New York for a company. It is announced that there is going to be a ballet that is going to be a new take on Swan Lake where the main role is the Swan Queen, a portrayal of both the black swan and the white swan. While Nina is very reminiscent of the white swan, she is nowhere near being anything like the black swan. Nina goes on a journey throughout the film trying to portray these different sides equally. The film stars Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Vincent Cassel, Barbara Hershey, Winona Ryder, and many other talented actors and actresses. According to IMDb, this film was nominated for five Oscars and only ended up winning one, Best Actress for Natalie Portman.
This film was so haunting and yet so beautiful and I absolutely loved it. By the end of the film, I was at an utter loss for words because it was an experience unlike any other I had with watching a movie before. The way that this movie was shot was interesting and set the tone for how the film was going to present itself. There were two shots, in my opinion, that were utilized the most. The first shot being a close-up shot. This was done either with a close-up of their face so the audience would get that first-person perspective along with the character as well as the same viewpoint. It allows for tension to be built and make the audience feel uncomfortable. It would also be used whenever Nina would be going around NYC to show how she sees the city. Another shot that was used was the long-shot. This would be used whenever the dancers would be dancing altogether, showing a landscape, or at the end to get the overall picture of the stage. The way that these shots intertwined was interesting and overall, the camerawork was stunning. Something else that was used in a clever way was symbolism with objects and colors. Mirrors were used a lot to get the idea of reflection and seeing someone's inner self whether in a good or negative way. The color imagery was used really well too with good things using lighter colors and vice versa. In my opinion, Natalie Portman gave the performance of her career and she one-hundred percent deserved her Oscar. The way that she portrayed Nina emotionally and physically was inherent from viewing it on the screen. I read somewhere that she actually learned how to do ballet and lost twenty pounds for the role, which shows dedication and that she was committed to portraying Nina authentically. The cinematography in this film was also incredible.
Overall, Black Swan captures dance and how hard it is not only physically but also emotionally. It asks ourselves how far are we willing to lose ourselves to go after something that we really want. It is thrilling, haunting, and beautiful all wrapped together. I gave this movie 5/5 stars. I would highly recommend this movie to anyone who likes the psychological horror genre, dancing and what goes on behind the scenes, Natalie Portman, or if you just want to be amazed and stunned by a film.
If you have seen this movie, what did you think of it? Let me know in the comments.
Black Swan is a psychological horror film that came out in 2010. Directed by Darren Aronofsky, this film follows Nina Sayers (Natalie Portman) a ballerina who dances in New York for a company. It is announced that there is going to be a ballet that is going to be a new take on Swan Lake where the main role is the Swan Queen, a portrayal of both the black swan and the white swan. While Nina is very reminiscent of the white swan, she is nowhere near being anything like the black swan. Nina goes on a journey throughout the film trying to portray these different sides equally. The film stars Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Vincent Cassel, Barbara Hershey, Winona Ryder, and many other talented actors and actresses. According to IMDb, this film was nominated for five Oscars and only ended up winning one, Best Actress for Natalie Portman.
This film was so haunting and yet so beautiful and I absolutely loved it. By the end of the film, I was at an utter loss for words because it was an experience unlike any other I had with watching a movie before. The way that this movie was shot was interesting and set the tone for how the film was going to present itself. There were two shots, in my opinion, that were utilized the most. The first shot being a close-up shot. This was done either with a close-up of their face so the audience would get that first-person perspective along with the character as well as the same viewpoint. It allows for tension to be built and make the audience feel uncomfortable. It would also be used whenever Nina would be going around NYC to show how she sees the city. Another shot that was used was the long-shot. This would be used whenever the dancers would be dancing altogether, showing a landscape, or at the end to get the overall picture of the stage. The way that these shots intertwined was interesting and overall, the camerawork was stunning. Something else that was used in a clever way was symbolism with objects and colors. Mirrors were used a lot to get the idea of reflection and seeing someone's inner self whether in a good or negative way. The color imagery was used really well too with good things using lighter colors and vice versa. In my opinion, Natalie Portman gave the performance of her career and she one-hundred percent deserved her Oscar. The way that she portrayed Nina emotionally and physically was inherent from viewing it on the screen. I read somewhere that she actually learned how to do ballet and lost twenty pounds for the role, which shows dedication and that she was committed to portraying Nina authentically. The cinematography in this film was also incredible.
Overall, Black Swan captures dance and how hard it is not only physically but also emotionally. It asks ourselves how far are we willing to lose ourselves to go after something that we really want. It is thrilling, haunting, and beautiful all wrapped together. I gave this movie 5/5 stars. I would highly recommend this movie to anyone who likes the psychological horror genre, dancing and what goes on behind the scenes, Natalie Portman, or if you just want to be amazed and stunned by a film.
If you have seen this movie, what did you think of it? Let me know in the comments.
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