The new film sensation Black Swan literally took my breath away and is now easily one of my favourite films. Nina is a ballerina of a New York City ballet company whose life is dance. With the opening sequence, Darren Aronofsky, sets the dramatic tone for the rest of the film, with a beautiful chiaroscuro of Nina (Natalie Portman) dancing with her personal demons. Nina lives with her obsessive and controlling former ballerina mother, who suffocates her to the brink of insanity. When the company's artistic director Thomas Leroy (Vincent Cassel) decides to replace his current prima ballerina for Nina, in the opening production of Swan Lake, the film and Nina's sanity dips into darkness. Nina has competition: a new dancer, Lily (Mila Kunis), who impresses Leroy and invokes perpetual paranoia in Nina. Swan Lake requires a dancer who can play both the White Swan with innocence and grace, and the Black Swan, who represents guile and sensuality. Nina personifies the White Swan but Lily is the reincarnation of the Black Swan. The two dancers are twisted into a tormented friendship which drives Nina to embrace her dark side.
The mise en scene is beautiful through-out, i especially love Nina's Black Swan costume and make-up.
Here are some snaps of some of my favourite moments:
Natalie Portman has also just graced the cover of Vogue US Jan 2011, shot by photographer Peter Lindbergh. Simply stunning.
Also so behind the scenes photos:
