This is going to be quite a difficult review for me to write because, to be completely honest, I still don't know exactly what to think of Black Swan. Having been intrigued, but not necessarily convinced by the trailers, I was ultimately swayed by the near-universal critical praise and awards attention. I'm certainly glad I saw it, but at the same time I'm not convinced that I would recommend it either.
Anyway, let's get the plot out the way first. Natalie Portman plays a young ballerina who wins the coveted dual roles of the White and Black Swan in her ballet company's production of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake. Although her wide-eyed innocence is perfect for the role of the White Swan, her efforts to embody the evil Black Swan (and simultaneously prevent a rival dancer from usurping her) result in fear, paranoia and the beginnings of a complete psychotic break. And then there are the weird scratches that start appearing on her back...
Watching Black Swan was almost certainly the most uncomfortable cinema-going experience of my life. At no point is it possible to relax as the overwhelming sense of foreboding and constant stream of increasingly strange, dark, twisted and flat-out creepy plot developments keep you squirming in your seat. This is a film that can invoke genuine uneasiness at simply watching a character trim their fingernails. And in the sense that this is director's intention, the film is a resounding success. There is much to appreciate here: Darren Aranofsky's direction is excellent, as is Natalie Portman's highly-dedicated performance; the art direction, costumes and make-up are all superb; and Clint Mansell's reworkings of the Swan Lake score set the mood perfectly. Even the grainy Super-16mm cinematography, while not particularly aesthetically pleasing, is undoubtedly a key component in setting the film's tone.
Unfortunately, despite all this, the fact remains that I simply didn't enjoy watching Black Swan. In general I'm a fan of dark, weird films but when the viewing experience is that arduous it becomes difficult to justify the effort. Having browsed through various film websites and forums I get the impression that I am very much in the minority with this viewpoint, which does make me wonder if there's something I'm missing. And yet, the five other people I watched it with all shared my opinions. Either way, this is certainly not the kind of film that I would expect to make lots of money or attract major awards attention, and the fact that it's managing both simply makes it all the more bizarre.
VERDICT: Honestly? I don't know. It's probably worth seeing, but don't expect to have any fun doing so...
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