Black Swan Review

Hey guys. My room took a while last night, so besides the Clean Room, all that got done was Gaia Online and Winter Cleaning Phase 10. But while I am on that subject, I decided to do an hour a day of German, I'll read my pagan books every Thursday, and I am changing my World of Warcraft goals from 1 emblem and 1/2 level to just 1/2 level till my main character reaches level 85, then I'll return that to normal. I forgot to mention my new years resolutions recently, nothing much has changed, I removed a few things and added learning German.

Well, I got a lot to do, so I better get to that review. Before I start the review, there may be spoilers, I wont ruin the end, but you may know what happens up to that.

Image from Geek Tyrant

Black Swan has been described as a dramatic thriller, though it toes closer to horror. The story describes how a veteran ballerina, played by Winona Ryder, is retiring and their director, played by Vincent Cassel, is looking for her replacement, enter Natalie Portman playing Nina then Mila Kunis playing Lily. If you're not already getting the hint that Cassel is playing a jerk when he forces the veteran ballerina to have her last role in obscurity, he's ladled with sexual harassment to Portman and possibly Kunis, but more on that later. Before we are even introduced to this, the film is ladled with shaky camera work, it's unclear to me if this is an attempt to make the film look more independent when it does or because they couldn't use a dolly. It's also ladled with attempts at fancy editing that took me slightly off, but luckily this is only temporary and the wonderful scenes that follow sucked me back in.

Image from Awards Daily.

Remember that veteran ballerina? Well, she's not there much, it's all about Nina's fight to gain the leading role in their production of Swan Lake. Cassel has decided to dual cast the White Swan and the Black Swan to which Portman is flawless dancing as the White Swan, but is having difficulty losing herself in the Black Swan role. She is interpreted by Mila and was certain she had lost the role. We find she lives with her mother, played by Barbara Hershey, who is introduced as a supportive mother, but that's thrown to the wind soon, as Portman returns to the director and ask if she may try again at the Black Swan, he refuses and informs her she is too late, however, after stealing a kiss, he changes his mind and Portman got the role. What follows is the weirdest scene with Hershey and Portman which involves cake. Portman protests that she has cut too big of a piece and that she still has butterflies from getting the role. Hershey flips and is about the throw out the cake before Portman apologies and convinces her not to throw out the cake. This scene aids in the later control freak attitude Hershey has towards her daughter though it doesn't change the fact that the explosion over cake was rather hilarious.

Image from The Contrarian Media

The second act is ladled with seduction by Cassel, loosening of the shackles Portman has from Hershey, Hershey's growing concern with her daughter's growing reckless behavior. And the question of is Mila the black swan and Portman the white, is Portman her own Black Swan, and if so, did she always have the Black Swan in her or was it brought upon by the stress and freedom from the role, or is Portman that **** insane and again, was she always like this or did it come upon her from the role and from seeing such a wonderful ballerina be forced to retire. Although the ending does asking you answer these question for yourself, there are more predominate theories then others. Again, I spoil nothing, but with the directing, editing, acting, story, and overall execution of the film, this is a movie you can't afford to miss.

Well, I better get to that list now.

List for today:
Gaia Guild Updates
Writing: Book
Writing: Play
Writing: Script
Reading Book
Library Book
World of Warcraft 1/2 Leveling
Brushing Teeth
Study German
Chain Mail
Ballet DVD
Hiragana/Katakana/Vocabulary Practice
Sewing
Winter Cleaning Phase 1
Winter Cleaning Phase 2
Winter Cleaning Phase 3
Winter Cleaning Phase 4
Winter Cleaning Phase 5
Winter Cleaning Phase 6
Winter Cleaning Phase 7
Winter Cleaning Phase 8
Winter Cleaning Phase 9
Winter Cleaning Phase 11
Winter Cleaning Phase 12

Wish me luck. :)