Recently, I watched the 2010 blockbuster film Black Swanand it is probably the strangest movie I have ever seen in my entire life. I had to watch it for a film class that I’m taking, and it was really bizarre, but I think everyone needs to watch it at least once, even if the only thing you gain from it is slight PTSD when you see a swan.
Photo courtesy of Google Images
If you’re a movie lover, you’ll probably like this movie for the cinematography aspects because it’s incredibly well-made. There are a ton of allusions to the original stories that the movie is based on (they are “Swan Lake” and a separate story called “The Black Swan”). The portrayal of the mental deterioration of Nina (Natalie Portman) is filmed really well, making the audience feel as though they are a part of the action as well, which is both enthralling and terrifying. The colors that they use all around, mostly black, white, and pink, help the audience follow what’s happening and pick up on the transformation of Nina from the white swan to the black one. Also, the use of sound in the film sends goosebumps down your spine because it gets all too real in some parts, specifically when her feet get injured and pop…yikes.
Even if you’re not an avid movie connoisseur, the movie is worth a watch because its ability to get the audience invested in it is unlike other films I’ve seen. The sounds keep you on the edge of your seat subliminally by the creepy noises that add to the transformation that occurs for Nina as the story progresses. Aside from all of this, the story is compelling and the movie does a great job of telling the story of the ballet and coming of age in a sense. The characters are also familiar (we know the good girl and bad girl types) so they seem natural for us to clearly understand what’s happening and get effectively creeped out.
Photo courtesy of Taylor Thomas
Here’s a bonus for all of you literary nerds out there: the story is really similar to Edgar Allan Poe’s short story “William Wilson,” so if you liked this movie, go check out the story!
A lot of times when people watch Black Swan, they have no earthly idea what’s happening, and the first time I watched it, I felt the same way. But, upon a couple of closer viewings, I found that it was extremely well-made and had a bunch of really cool elements that made it the blockbuster movie that it is. So, even though it’s a wild ride from start to finish, it’s worth the watch.