Darren Aronofsky's Black Swan

[melfreya]

One question for those of you who've seen it: Do you think her mom sexually abused her? I didn't think so at first, but at the second viewing there were some scenes like the one where she says in a chilly voice "take off your shirt", in another one when Nina is in her room and her mom asks "Are you ready for me"? and in the lesbian dream when Mila says "sweet girl" like her mother..I don't know I just got that feeling this time and it's sth that's being discussed in many forums about the movie..

 

[Belowen]

^ I honestly didn't get that vibe at all. I think there was definitely a lot of power play happening there. And a lot of psychological abuse happening, with her mother basically trapping her in time as a child and someone she can control both physically and emotionally, but I personally didn't get the sexual abuse vibe between Nina and her mother. I have heard people saying that though, so I guess it does show for some people.

 

[Ziegfeld Girl]

^ I've read that interpretation of Nina's mother on a few forums. I didn't think the mother sexually abused Nina. There was a domineering relationship between the two characters but I viewed the mother as just extremely controlling and was infantilising Nina.

 

[Susann]

saw it today! love it...still thrilled...

 

[Zann]

PERFECTION!

if you have not seen Black Swan, DO NOT watch this

 

[melfreya]

New Black Swan Director feauturette Very informative but also very spoilery for those who haven't seen it!!

 

[melfreya]

^bad link apparently here's the original source, go to the first video posted under trailers, uploaded yesterday:
http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/fox_searchlight/blackswan/

 

[bunburyist]

Didn't like this much at all. technically it ranged from good to very good, from the cinematography to the acting to the costumes to the music and (I presume) the dancing. This made it quite watchable.

The writing and the story was just poor. There are the seeds of an interesting idea there (exploring creative/professional obsession is always fertile ground for cinema or storytelling generally I think it's fair to say) but the script was a muddled mess. The whole thing was just so melodramatic and risible (she throws the music box off the bedside table! oh Natalie u so mad), full of fairly shallow pop psychology. At the hands of a lesser cast and crew this would have been a far worse movie, I think. That's probably a testament to those involved but it just seems like wasted potential and talent. I don't reckon it'll stand the test of time.

 

[Susann]

to melfreya: I noticed those hints too...I think its possible...open for interpretation. I like about the film that its not completely clear what actually happens

 

[hedur]

Even though it was beautifully shot and gorgeous to look at, this movie failed for me as a whole. I loved the concept but the over the top horror tactics (Winona stabbing the hell out of her face, Natalie's entire body violently and randomly breaking, etc) took me completely out of it.

Barbara Hershey was excellent and Natalie was very good. I loved the part when while dancing she literally turned into the Black Swan. Stunning.

Without all the needless melodrama I would have been a fan.

 

[Vixx]

I just saw this last night FINALLY! It was worth the wait. I thought it was fantastic. Natalie Portman certainly at her best and well deserving of the best actress oscar.

 

[Feline]

Does anyone know when (or if) it will be out on DVD? It's one of those films I will want to keep going back to as there is so much depth there.

 

[melfreya]

I think I've read somewhere about a late March DVD release

 

[snowqueen]

yea I heard week after oscars...seems bit quick though that might just be usa, because still in cinema here in uk init

 

[Zann]

is there a thread or is someone posting all the info on the drama circulating Black Swan and if Natalie Portman actually danced in it?

 

[melfreya]

I think this would be it if you want to talk about it. Personally I find the whole thing ridiculous. Is there anybody out there with half a brain that thought Natalie did the en pointe scenes? Even in the film it's extremely clear that when Aronofsky cuts to the legs it's not Nat. I think that dancer really didn't understand what being a double meant. Do other movies who use stunt doubles talk constantly about their work in the press and interviews? No. So if she wasn't comfortable with that she shouldn't sign. It's more her ego being hurt she's not in every article about the movie, I think. (and btw she hides the fact that there was also another double involved, and essentially doing the exact thing she accuses Portman of).Then she attacks Portman and downright lies when she says she didn't get credit from her. Portman mentioned her a lot of times and by name in a couple of interviews and the important televised (Letterman) ones. All in all I think the only thing she accomplished is too reinforce the snobbish and better than thou stereotypes of ballerinas shown in Black Swan.
BUT! I think the blame for all this hoopla should be partly on Fox Searchlight that tried so hard to emphasize the dance part of the film. It's not a film about dancing, and stop putting so much emphasis on it. Yes Portman did a lot of preparation but the film it's about the inner struggles of a girl who is a ballerina.
Portman didn't win because of the fouettes but because of her incredible ACTING perfomance, that was made more believable by her detoriating appearance. You know how much dancing per se is on Black Swan? Less than 5% of screen time. And it's really infuriating when I hear all these comments that her Oscar is now a facade etc. Really? I din't know the Oscars were dancing awards..Anyway I'm gonna stop my rant here! Sorry Zann!

 

[alacrity]

^ I agree, I did not for one second think that Portman did any of the dancing. I understand that she trained for a year before, I thought that was to get the physique of a ballet dancer, not to do the dancing scenes.

If you're doing a movie about ballet dancing, you're going to get professionals to do the dancing. That's obvious. I don't think the fact that Portman didn't do the dancing scenes takes away from her performance, at all.

Like Melfreya said, the Oscars aren't dancing awards. I think this drama is absolutely ridiculous.

 

[Margaret24]

I don't know why Sarah Lane (Natalie's stunt double) is talking about it now, I don't think most people care how much of the dancing Natalie did or didn't do.When I watched the film I remember thinking to myself, " I bet she didn't really do those fouettes", but it didn't matter to me.

 

[Chaky]

Darren Aronofsky released the following statement via Fox Searchlight:

"Here is the reality. I had my editor count shots. There are 139 dance shots in the film. 111 are Natalie Portman untouched. 28 are her dance double Sarah Lane. If you do the math that’s 80% Natalie Portman. What about duration? The shots that feature the double are wide shots and rarely play for longer than one second. There are two complicated longer dance sequences that we used face replacement. Even so, if we were judging by time over 90% would be Natalie Portman.

"And to be clear Natalie did dance on pointe in pointe shoes. If you look at the final shot of the opening prologue, which lasts 85 seconds, and was danced completely by Natalie, she exits the scene on pointe. That is completely her without any digital magic. I am responding to this to put this to rest and to defend my actor. Natalie sweated long and hard to deliver a great physical and emotional performance. And I don’t want anyone to think that’s not her they are watching. It is."

 

[melfreya]

And with this statement I hope this stupid hoopla is laid to rest.
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