Feathers of a Black Swan

There are still some visually interesting, compelling films hitting the theatres these days. They do come far and between and sometimes. And without warning.

One of those films is “Black Swan” (2010) where the imagination in the film does take on a life of its own. It has some of the most visual images that can burn into your mind long after you are finished watching the film.

It’s a remarkable feat. Movies should do that. They should haunt you. They should be filled with surreal scenes that stay with you in your head like a lingering nightmare.

Some people have problems with this film being a psychological horror film. They call it “nonsense” and believe the horror elements should be done away with. I don’t agree with it at all. The director Darren Aronofsky knows how to make a good horror film. It needs atmosphere… a slow build-up of mood. Most times, a horror film lets loose toward the very end when all the atmosphere swirls into a chaotic state. The writer H.P. Lovecraft knew how to create a picturesque stream of horror. So did Edgar Allan Poe.

Aronnofski was able to bring these stark images to the film with powerful expression of innocence turning into sexual desire.

There are many little things that leads into the harbinger of bad deeds.

Nina played by Natalie Portman who is slowly transforming in many scenes. She is meek, cowardly in some portions of the film. But other parts is a different side of her… like a broken mirror. She escapes her meek self and becomes dominating.

The transformation scenes can be very telling.

She pulls a long thread of loose skin from her finger in one bathroom scene. Some of the transformation scenes are very jarring. There is another where she is consumed with the itching on her back as she pulls out a feathered barb from her skin. It is a black feather. Her eyes turn a reddish nightmare. She goes through the psychological storm of changing into something else. Perhaps a swan?

There are many other things that create the slow build-up. Many of these are contributed by Nina’s mother played by the always dependable Barbara Hershey. She is controlling, jealous mother who rages against her daughter. Nina is coddled and sheltered by her mother.

Hershey may very well be one of the most creepiest things in the film. She looks ancient in her role. And it is this age that seems so threatening. She sacrifices her entire career as a dancer to raise her own daughter. She takes it out on Nina. She wants to control her daughter to become the perfect dancer.

The young woman Nina goes through a mountain of exertion and hardship to win the role of the Swan Queen. She practices religiously. She works tirelessly in the New York City ballad company to dance in the production of the Swan Lake. There is one problem. She is replacing the now unbalanced Beth McIntyer (Winona Ryder) who was the original ballad dancer for the Swan Queen. In many ways, she foretells the future for Nina. It is violent, dark and bleak.

Nina provides the very soul for the production and is cast reluctantly as the ballad director. But the director feels that Nina is perfect for the White Swan because she is fragile and innocent. However, as the Black Swan, she is too frigid.

But when the director tries to kiss Nina during a confrontational moment, she bites him on the lips. He said, “I just saw a flash of the Black Swan right there.”

There are many sexual scenes which create a darker version of Nina. Perhaps it is the driving desire which pushes Nina over the edge. The need to be in center stage can be very punishing as well. The need to be perfect can drive a young woman out of her mind. There is also the note of psychosis that can be dragging the young Nina down.

Remember the same thing happened to Sid Barrett of Pink Floyd fame… the first songwriter, lead singer and guitarist was unable to deal with all the popularity and stress that he was undergoing. So he went to his little corner of craziness. He was unable to handle all the fame and glory that went with his popularity.

That is perhaps what might have happened to Nina. She was simply pushed too far over the cliff of insanity.

The film “Black Swan” deals wonderfully with the idea of doppelgangers. You see doubles everywhere. Nina sees her doubles in mirrors and often in very frightening moments. Her understudy Lily is a near double of Nina… who believes that Lily wants to steal her role. There are many other moments of doppelgangers. The White and Black Swan are doppelgangers as well. It is a splitting image.

“Black Swan” remains an interesting study of a psychological rollercoaster ride. it’s brilliantly handled in the written story. We already saw what the Black Swan role can do to Beth. Nina seemed to be unable to lift herself out of the abyss either.

I’m not sure how well people will understand the film. It’s a heavy duty film which requires some thinking. And it is a very challenging film. And it’s nice to see a thinking horror film once in a while. We need more of those.