There is so much media buzz about Black Swan the film of Director Darren Aronofsky that movies goers want to see the film for themselves. According to the many film critics who reviewed Black Swan, the film is either brilliant or utterly manipulative and shameless. My curiosity got the best of me. I reluctantly went to see the film, à reculons as the French say, walking backwards. I was not sure that I will like it in spite of the positive comments made by a lady friend.
The beginning of the film was not auspicious. All the main characters, Nina (Natalie Portman) the fragile and infantile ballet dancer, her mother, and the maître de ballet were all mean characters, as well as caricatures of their trade. Erica, the mother embodied the Mommy Dearest stereotype, without the flourish of Joan Crawford, the all-time queen of mean. I also found Lily, Nina’s nemesis totally miscast. I am not a ballet expert but this girl has neither the body nor the posture of a ballerina. She exhibited a big eagle tattoo on her back. Was I watching the Guardian Angels’ version of Swan Lake?
Oronofsky’s Black SwanNatalie Portman’s dancing looked fine, but she is no first ballerina material. In order to compensate for her lack of ballet skills, her training focused on her arms and upper body. The leg and foot work which was seen on the screen was that of a true ballet dancer. Although I admire Portman’s talent as an actress, I could not take her ballet part seriously.
I understand why the film struck such a raw nerve in the ballet community. At one stage I felt like leaving, but as I was seating in the middle of a row I was “prisoner”. I tried to concentrate on the plot, part thriller and part horror. Nina is both destroying and reinventing herself in her search for emancipation and perfection. I often closed my eyes to enjoy the haunting music of Tchaikovsky which was mixed with electronic elements to a very dramatic effect. Sorry to admit but I giggled at the last scene when blood gushed out of the white swans’ stomach. Vampirish.
The bottom line is that I was certainly brainwashed by the negative reviews. After seeing the film, I read a couple of positive reviews which I didn’t find very convincing. I found the film entertaining but goofy and far-fetched. It is loaded with standard clichés of melodrama. Nathalie Portman’s performance is mesmerizing, bona fide Oscar material. The masturbation scene and the lesbian sex episode were risqué elements in an otherwise campy Hollywood fare. I look forwards to your comments (any languages) and argument. Select the “Anonymous” profile to do so.
Bea,
ReplyDeleteI can undestand your viewpoint, since you are not a totally layperson on ballet things. There is price to pay for that. You go for an entertainement but the flaws blow up and they can hurt your eyes (or your ears). I remember I was quite revolted in the film There Will be Blood, in the scene when they were drilling for oil with an oil-pump unit, but it was a great movie.
The vulture suits well to your comments, however...
hey Beatrice, enjoying your new experience however Black Swan peeked my curiosity after ... definitely on the list now... looking forward to continuous fun and interesting news, of the "cariocas" or wherever else your travels take you... keep the good work.. it is most enjoyable.. xoxo jacqueline
ReplyDeleteWell, we finally did go to see the film and I disliked it intensely, though Natalie Portman is good she looked anorexic like dancers although without the willowy movements of a dancer it was morbid and too much oozing blood for no reason …the music as you so well commented was great , and I did enjoy the task master … the Mother was very well played , and quite a typical scenario of Mothers of child prodigies and artists… the driving force behind these poor little kids simply to compensate for their own failures or dreams or desires or oeuvre manqué… who knows the real psychology behind this drive and obsession, I went with an English friend of mine who also disliked it intensely we both felt let down as we walked out of a full house… heard no comments from anyone else that evening not even on the staircase … it could have been lovely with another kind of visual interpretation even with an evil Black Swan… bon you had asked me for my opinion and this is it, even the director was a bit off to say the least unfortunately, and she is nominated for an Oscar that I can understand a tour de force for an actress that is not by nature a ballerina… I admire her tenacity at having to go through the tedious and lengthy hours of practice and the torture of it also.. regardless if her legs were used or not her arms certainly were…
ReplyDeleteJacqueline