Black Swan

Impressions before seeing it
Darren Aronofsky is a good director, but all of his films tend to be dark and/or depressing, so I was prepared for that, and from the trailers I could tell this was going to be a weird trip that messes with your head. I went into it with the mindset that the main character was not necessarily reliable and thus not everything seen would be reality.

How was it?
It's definitely one of those weird, artsy films that don't make sense if you take everything literally, but unlike others of that variety I felt I actually extracted some meaning from this one. To me, Black Swan is a film about obsession. Not just obsession with art or performance, but pure, unbridled obsession. Nina (Natalie Portman, in a very intense and demanding role that she does pull off perfectly) wants the lead role in a production of Swan Lake. Actually it's dual roles, and her director says she is perfect for the dance of the White Swan, but is unable to comprehend that of the Black Swan because she doesn't know how to loosen up. In other words, white swan = control, black swan = chaos, a dichotomy present all the way through with loads of black vs. white imagery. For example, Nina is practically always seen in white and Lily (Mila Kunis), who Nina perceives as her rival, is always wearing black. As she struggles to impress the director by properly dancing the Black Swan, Nina spirals into a weird, confusing, paranoid, and sometimes creepy version of reality that reflects her anxieties over failure and imperfection. Her obsession is complete to the point that I don't think there is a single scene in the movie that isn't in some way related to her concerns over this role. But I think the biggest key to understanding Black Swan is to pay attention to some of the things the play's director says, most noticeably his summary of the story of Swan Lake and when he tells Nina that the only person in her way is herself. I won't spoil the ending, but I will say it kind of gave me goosebumps.

Recommendation
Art films can be hard to like and I wasn't sure how this one would register, but I was pleasantly surprised when it made sense to me and, toward the second half, got me on the edge of my seat. I didn't expect it to be so memorably haunting but I think it will stick with me and, again, brilliantly played by Natalie Portman. Still hard to recommend because I know it's not for everyone, but I really liked it.