Black Swan

The beloved ballet "Swan Lake" is the most beautiful and compelling of all ballets. But, the film "Black Swan" is its destroyer -- a psycho dramatic voyage into the underworld of ballet. Nina Sayers, a budding ballerina extraordinaire, finds herself in a waking nightmare as she ventures as a maiden into the domain of the black swan. The pressure on Nina is intense. For starters, she dwells in the crucible of the all-consuming world of a New York ballet company. At home, she fends off the hovering presence of an overbearing mother, a former ballet dancer who never made it out of the corps not even to soloist let alone to principal dancer. Her dual dominance of her daughter runs hot and cold from loving acceptance to grim disapproval. She wants her daughter to succeed and yet, perhaps not too much. Nina has no close friends in the ballet company with its cutthroat competiveness. Yet the company is her life force. Bereft, too, of normal sexual release with another, the sole focus of her physical body is as an object of the dance. It is the presence of Lily, the free spirited newcomer to the company that pushes Nina's buttons, driving her unbearably. I couldn't help noting Lily as a take-off on Lilith, the dark soul who in Jewish folklore is to have been Adam's first wife before the creation of Eve. There is a real-life experience of complete mental collapse in the ballet world. It is known that the Russian ballerina Olga Spessivtseva was institutionalized for twenty years in an upper New York state hospital before being released. The ballerina had visited and intensely observed mental patients in preparation for the famed mad scene in the ballet "Giselle" and this led to her own bout with insanity. All in all, there is much that is out of sync in this film. The role of the prince in the ballet performance is danced by a guy named David (the name itself means beloved) whose emotions run only from A to B. He doesn't emotionally engage as he "walks the ballerina" in performance like a somnambulist. Nina Sayers is too much work for him. He even drops her in performance and later just looks dazed in bewilderment at her fate as the condemned swan. It's been said that ballet is woman, and yet, ballet is nowhere without a compelling male dancer. Margot Fonteyn writes in her book "The Magic Of Dance," (I am fortunate to have an autographed copy) that "Dance is very much an man's activity." I cannot imagine what ballet would be in today's world without the foregoing geatness of Rudolf Nureyev, my overall favorite dancer, and the charismatic talent of Mikhail Baryshnikov who made ballet respectable for the male dancer through his role in the ballet film "The Turning Point." Ballet would mean nothing for me today without the gentle excellence of Angel Corella, a principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre. In October of 1986, a ballet review that I wrote "The Paris Opera Ballet's Controversial Swan Lake" appeared in "The World & I," an international magazine of the Washington (DC) Times. This disturbing version was choreographed by Rudolf Nureyev as a nightmarish dream of the principal male character. It destroyed the beauty of the eternal vow made in traditional versions to Odette by the prince by never even acknowledging it. Nureyev, who danced in some performances as the prince and in others as the tutor, did not dance in the one I reviewed, implies that the prince is destroyed by the dark influence of his tutor who becomes his Rothbart. I did see Rudolf Nureyev dance in a production of "Romeo and Juliet" that he choreographed at the Metropolitan Opera on July 18, 1981. As Romeo, his greatness still shone brilliantly. Margot Fonteyn, however was relegated to dancing the role of Juliet's mother, Lady Capulet. After this performance, I saw Rudolf Nureyev outside the backstage entrance. I handed him an individual packet of a vitamin product that I had been selling. He took it, flashed that famous smile of his at me, and asked me what it was. I told him, vitamins. He then graciously autographed my program....one of my most cherished of all the autographs I've collected. The very best aspect of "Black Swan" is its incredible casting. Natalie Portman embodied Nina Sayers to perfection. She truly earned the Oscar she was awarded for Best Actress. Benjamin Millepied, principal dancer and choreographer with New York City Ballet, downplayed his charisma in the role of David and yet his smoldering presence came through. Vincent Cassel blew me away as the artistic director, fascinating me as much as he did Nina Sayers. I was stunned when I learned that he was an actor but not a dancer. Mila Kunis as Lily was compelling and I enjoyed her role but, other than in appearance, in no way did she resemble an actual ballerina. I can't imagine that a tattoo such as she displayed on her back would be tolerated in a major company and the ballerinas whom I have known were disciplined in the extreme...free spirits inside perhaps...but never, never in public nor on display. This film is a must for every true lover of ballet, if only for its glimpse into a dancer's world which never can be fully imagined from a pristine seat in the audience.

Blu-Ray review. If you are reading this for the DVD or any other format, some of this information may not apply. Film: 4.5/5, Image Quality: 4.5/5, Sound Quality: 4.5/5, Extras: 3.5/5 Overall: 4.5/5 (wounded up in total star ranking) Quality: Having been shot partially on 16mm film, this movie will have a large amount of fine film grain, and a dark overall look that may appear gaudy at first glance. But it is nicely sharp and detailed throughout. At some parts, the grain clears up and looks perfect in some scenes. Altogether, it's the best possible transfer given the movie's source limitations and artistic intent. Sound quality sounded great to me, especially regarding the music and sound effects. Extras include a 49-minute making-of documentary, close to a dozen short featurettes, trailers, and BD-Live and mobile features. For this film's initial release, it comes with a digital copy and a glossy semi-reflective slipcover. The cover art appears on both the outside and inside of the case, and could be reversible. Chances are that future pressings of this movie will omit the slipcover and DC in favor of a single-disc in a plain case. Film: Darren Aronofsky has made some of the most remarkable nightmares on film. Whether plunging into the mystique of numerology, the destructive wages of drug abuse, or the woes of a wrestler past his prime, Aronofsky makes films of style and intellect that are topped by very few directors, especially in this day and age. Sure enough, "Black Swan" is just as worthy of a film as the director's previous efforts. I felt the film started off as a typical, mild character-driven drama; lots of ladies dancing, lots of bitter rivalry and stress, but little on conflict, much less style. But toward the second half, the film became totally whack. A few visual hints are dropped in the first half, which will likely make you blink and ask yourself "did I really see that?!" In the second half, it becomes substantially more intense, the visuals become extraordinarily trippy and surreal, and all conflict reaches a proper climax. If you stick with it, the film will be engrossing and sublime, with enough emotional punch and food-for-thought to keep you intrigued and entertained. I'd say it's about as rewarding as "Fight Club." The story itself is simple and straightforward; a petty drama involving ballerinas doing a bold new vision of the Swan Lake spiel. As the film goes on, it reaches deeper beneath the surface and pulls up some strong character development and refreshing thematic territory. This is very much a story about perfection, not only in the dancers' performances, but in the sense of duality: the union between light and dark creates a perfect balance that ultimately drives the main character to confront, fight, and ultimately transform herself. Not to mention, there are also some strong themes concerning maturity, lifestyles, sexuality, and ambition. The film also manages to throw in decent helpings of paranoia, and works very effectively to toy around with the audience's sense of understanding what's real in the film and what isn't. In the end, it may not be a terribly grandiose plot, but it does have great depth, and I find the central theme of corruption and duality quite elegant. As far as the cinematography goes, I was pleased with the photography; there are some bouncy documentary-style cameras, but not nearly as many as I expected. Editing is excellent. Acting is great; Natalie Portman is perfect as Nina and Vincent Cassel is good. I usually find it hard to take Mila Kunis seriously, but she actually did a great job here. Writing seems good. Production value is high, and contains some awesome costumes and interesting sets. Clint Mansell's use of classical music fits this movie well, and does have a few standout moments. There are quite a few sex scenes, a few cringe-worthy moments, and a lot of dark surreal imagery, and will likely deter some viewers. But none of it is overly-graphic or gratuitous at all, and I see little reason not to recommend it to anybody. 4.5/5 (entertainment: 4/5, story: 4.5/5, film: 4.5/5, emotional impact: 3/5)

Perfecto

DVD non visionné , je ne peux donner mon avis sur le produit ; acheté après avoir lu le résumé ; pour avoir vu des extraits lors du lancement du film.DVD visionné, quelles émotions!!!!c'est beau,magnifique,sublime et terrifiant dans ce qu'il peut entraîner!!!Black swan est un pur diamant noir.N Portmam donne la pleine mesure de son talent. Nina une jeune femme voue sa vie à la danse.Son rêve..devenir la reine du "lac des cygnes". Ambigu Mais celle ci prise entre une mère abusive,sa soif de perfection,en vient au début par chorégraphe veut qu'elle soit parfaite et la pousse au maximum de ses possibilités sans faire attention à la personne qu'elle est. Mais prise entre une mère abusive et la perfection en vient au début à s'automutiler, descendre dans les méandres les plus profondes de la folie. Son interprétation est sublime jusqu'à se confondre dans son rôle. Magnifique prestation de N Portman ,inoubliable dans ce rôle,inhibée du personnage on se demande comment elle peut s'en sortir.Vincent Cassel troublant dans son jeu qui use de tout pour arriver à ses fins. Cela laisse entrevoir les dangers de vouloir atteindre la perfection,des ravages causés psychologiquement et ce qui en résulte à trop se donner à son art......Très minutieusement traité.... UN VRAI BIJOU DE PERFECTION!!!!!!MAGIQUE MAGNIFIQUE FÉERIQUE MAIS ATTENTION AU REVERS DE LA MÉDAILLE!!!!!!

I have first heard of this film from the poster ad, and footage from the Oscars when the film's actress Natalie Portman won the Oscar for Best Actress. So I had gotten curious - I wanted to see it. Well I had ordered the film when it came on DVD online and I had watched the film a couple of times; I love it, it is a beautifully, dark ballet film. The film explores New York ballet dancer Nina Sayers (Portman) who had got the starring role in the company's production of Swan Lake, but slowly goes on the brink of madness. You know, I never liked the director in the film, he's such a lecherous bastard. I had loved Natalie in the Star Wars films and I certainly love her in this film; I thought she had deserved that Oscar for Best Actress. So, I love really this film from beginning to end that's all I could say. And I also love that bits of Tchaikovsky's score from Swan Lake is added to the soundtrack.

Ballettstücke filmisch wiederzugeben ist ein verzwicktes Ding, da durch fehlende Dia-/Monologe es nur auf die reine Zuschauerinterpretation ankommt bzw. man auf schon vorherige publizierte Interpretation zurück greifen muss. BLACK SWAN ist ein Stück im Stück - es erzählt von einer Ballettaufführung des "Schwanensee"'s von Tschaikowsky, der Geschichte, wo der weiße Schwan in einen schwarzen Schwan verzaubert wird und nur durch die Liebe ihres Prinzen (das Klischee ruft) errettet werden kann - und beschreibt dieses gleichzeitig im Handlungsgeschehen. Anfangs bereitet der Film durch die Kameraführung, es scheint als ob immer jemand hinterher läuft, durch das ständige Ruckeln Kopfschmerzen, doch spätestens wenn Natalie Portman das erste Mal auftritt, ist alles vergessen. Die Schauspielerin mit der wunderbar weichen und weiblichen Figur mutierte innerhalb von einem Jahr und täglichem 8 Stunden Training zu einer durchtrainierten und trotzdem weiblichen Sportlerin. Balletttanzen allein ist schon schwer, dabei aber auch noch zu schauspielern beheerscht sie perfekt - also einen verdienten Oscar. Das Drehbuch wirkt eigentlich wie eine Kurzgeschichte, man erfährt weder was ihre Mutter - die einen unterschwelligen, versteckten Druck auf ihre Tochter Nina (Natalie Portman) ausübt, sie animiert und ihre unerfüllten Träume in ihr auslebt - arbeitet, noch wo der Vater ist, man erfährt nicht was Nina arbeitet, ob sie Freunde hat, ob es für sie auch ein Leben außerhalb von Tanzen, Erbrechen oder Zweifeln gibt. Sie selber mimt die Perfektionistin, tut jedoch scheinbar nichts dafür. Sie KÖNNTE die Beste sein, sie weiß es, doch setzt sich selber nicht unter Druck, nicht mal die Mutter scheint Druck zu machen, der Druck wird eher als Kontrollzwang versteckt/als Kontrollzwang getarnt. In der Ballett Academy von Nina wird "Schwanensee" neu aufgeführt - allerdings sollen diesmal beide Schwäne von nur einer Tänzerin aufgeführt werden. Nina wäre nach Meinung ihres Trainers der perfekte weiße Schwan, doch ihr fehlt das gewisse Etwas, das Verruchte, der Sex-Appeal für den schwarzen Schwan. Doch sie gelangt trotzdem an die Rolle(n) und kommt gleich darauf das erste Mal in den Genuss von Konkurenz, durch Lilly ( Mila Kuris, kein großartig zu heraus hebende schauspielerische Leistung, aber wichtige Rolle und traumhaftes Sex-Appeal gepaart mit Schönheit), die all das verkörpert, was für die Rolle des schwarzen Schwans nicht in ihr steckt. Nina's sonst so verschreckte, schüchterne Art bekommt einen Spiegel vorgehalten, wodurch sie anfängt an sich selber unter Druck zu setzen und sich aus den Fängen ihrer Mutter zu befreien. Lilly nimmt sie mit in die Welt des Verruchten, Sex, Drogen, Freiheit. Freiheit - Freiheit, was in Tschaikowskys Stück genau die Endessenz ist, was der Segen sein soll, als Fluch scheint und schluss endlich doch der Segen ist und zum gewünschten Ergebnis führt. Spätestens als sie eine schwarze Schwanenfeder aus ihrem Rücken zieht, sind die schizophrenen Züge, unrealistische Wahrnehmung und manchmal selbst für den Zuschauer kein Unterscheiden mehr zwischen Nina's Sicht und der Zuschauersicht, die Folgen davon. Nina verwandelt sich langsam mental in den schwarzen Schwan, haluziniert, beginnt einen Hang zur Autoaggression aufzubauen doch tanzt, wie vom Trainer und sich selbst verlangt, den perfekten schwarzen Schwan, sie lebt ihn. Genau DAS, was ihr nicht möglich war, das was sie wollte, die komplette Perfektion, die sich im Endeffekt selbst auffrisst. Alles in Allem: ein grandioser Film, der zurecht dem Genre "Psycho-Thriller" zugeordnet wird - die Schreckmomente kommen nicht zu kurz. Der Gastauftritt von Winona Ryder wird kurz gehalten, hat trotzdem einen entscheidenen Sinn für die Handlung. Perfektion, Leistungsdruck, Eifersucht, Beklemmtheit und Selbstzweifel spielen in einem wundervollen Quintett zusammen und zeigen nicht nur die Abgründe von perfektionierten oder perfektionsstrebenden Tänzern, sondern lassen viel Raum für den Zuschauer, sich in der einen oder anderen Situation selbst wieder zu erkennen. Musikalisch gesehen kann man mit nichts gegen den Film halten - selbst wenn man denkt es ist keine Steigerung mehr möglich, schafft es der Musikdirektor Fletcher Henderson noch einen drauf zu legen. Ein Film, den man sich entweder im Kino oder mit sehr guter Musikanlage anschauen und hören sollte.

Bellissimo film con una brava e bellissima Natalie Portman