What is all the fuss about? I don't really think Aronofsky is a genius; i liked the Wrestler but I've never seen pi....Requiem for a Dream was alright but The Fountain didn't work (for me). Supposedly he is making the next Wolverine movie which can't be any worse then the first one.
There are always interesting themes in his protagonists journeys though. They are all obsessed and very troubled; be it an addiction or a search for perfection in a profession. Natalie Portman left me unconvinced, as i didn't think she really brought out the 'sickness' in her character until they used make up and CGI. Barbara Hershey as her mother was nearly aiming for the dizzy heights of Piper Laurie in Carrie but couldn't really get there!
Vincent Cassel was the best out of the lot of them! Just a slimy piece of work who uses his professional position as the company director to get into the girls knickers! He uses his lured manners to transform Nina (Natalie Portman), the technically prefect ballerina to play both roles of the White & Black Swan.
So, we have a couple of hours of her going mental. The Ballet world is shown as very shallow and also very physically demanding. Nina is trapped by her mother's obsession as she lives her dream through her daughter while keeping her child repressed in her little pink bedroom, which looks more suitable for a 12 year old. It has some very symbolic images of self mutilation and 'hints' at the bulimia of the girls.
The dance scenes were well shoot, directed and edited ( not that i know a thing about ballet). In many respects the film isn't solely about the art form but about a trouble persons mental health problems due to her parent actions and a demanding profession.
