(Black Swan, Darren Aronofsky, 2010)
Black Swan is like a nightmare. A beautiful, unsettling, breathtaking nightmare. For 108 minutes I found myself completely glued to the screen, and when it ended I wanted nothing more than for it to keep going, even though I knew that it had nowhere else to go. I don't find myself saying this very often, but Black Swan is one of the best films I have ever seen. I was transfixed. I was absolutely captivated by the nightmare that was unraveling before my eyes, fighting to keep up with the twists and turns.
I've heard Darren Aronofsky's name thrown around quite a bit. Requiem for a Dream seems to have become somewhat notorious, and it's on The List, so I'll probably be viewing it in the fairly near future (to be clear, I would probably see it even if it wasn't on The List). Last year, Aronofsky's The Wrestler gained critical accolades and managed to win Mickey Rourke an Oscar (I've yet to see that film, either). In all honesty, until Black Swan I hadn't seen any of Aronofsky's films. His reputation preceded him in the best way possible though, because as soon as I saw his name on the trailer (along with Natalie Portman's stunningly terrifying make-up) I knew that I would absolutely be seeing the film as soon as humanly possible. Which I did. And, oh man, I was not disappointed.
I don't want to spoil anything about Black Swan. I don't even want to put a spoiler warning at the top of this post and let people read at their own risk. Going into Black Swan with no knowledge of the film beyond what I'd seen in the trailer was undeniably the best possible approach. I'd formed my own assumptions, but I had nothing else. My only expectations were ones that I had created myself, and I strongly believe that allowed me to become as engrossed in the film as I did. I was right there with all of the characters, struggling to understand what was going on, but wanting that understanding more than anything. It was absolutely fantastic, and there's no way I'm going to spoil that for anyone.
I will talk about this: visually, Black Swan is nothing short of a work of art. Beyond that statement I actually don't have a lot to say on the subject, but that definitely needs to be said. It's stunning. In fact, my only complaint about the film is that the final performance of the ballet wasn't longer, because I could have watched Natalie Portman dancing in those stunning costumes for another two hours. Her performance as the Black Swan was one of the most incredible things I've ever seen on film, and I wish that it could have just kept on going. In that crucial moment the nightmare just became a beautiful dream that I didn't want to wake up from.
So that's it. Black Swan is incredible. I'm not sure I can think of another film that, for me, has delivered so strongly from start to finish. From my first viewing of the trailer to the time when the credits started rolling, Black Swan may have been the best cinematic experience I've ever had. That seems like a strange thing to say about a film that four paragraphs ago I described as a "beautiful nightmare," but it's the truth. I love this film. Period.
I've heard Darren Aronofsky's name thrown around quite a bit. Requiem for a Dream seems to have become somewhat notorious, and it's on The List, so I'll probably be viewing it in the fairly near future (to be clear, I would probably see it even if it wasn't on The List). Last year, Aronofsky's The Wrestler gained critical accolades and managed to win Mickey Rourke an Oscar (I've yet to see that film, either). In all honesty, until Black Swan I hadn't seen any of Aronofsky's films. His reputation preceded him in the best way possible though, because as soon as I saw his name on the trailer (along with Natalie Portman's stunningly terrifying make-up) I knew that I would absolutely be seeing the film as soon as humanly possible. Which I did. And, oh man, I was not disappointed.
I don't want to spoil anything about Black Swan. I don't even want to put a spoiler warning at the top of this post and let people read at their own risk. Going into Black Swan with no knowledge of the film beyond what I'd seen in the trailer was undeniably the best possible approach. I'd formed my own assumptions, but I had nothing else. My only expectations were ones that I had created myself, and I strongly believe that allowed me to become as engrossed in the film as I did. I was right there with all of the characters, struggling to understand what was going on, but wanting that understanding more than anything. It was absolutely fantastic, and there's no way I'm going to spoil that for anyone.
I will talk about this: visually, Black Swan is nothing short of a work of art. Beyond that statement I actually don't have a lot to say on the subject, but that definitely needs to be said. It's stunning. In fact, my only complaint about the film is that the final performance of the ballet wasn't longer, because I could have watched Natalie Portman dancing in those stunning costumes for another two hours. Her performance as the Black Swan was one of the most incredible things I've ever seen on film, and I wish that it could have just kept on going. In that crucial moment the nightmare just became a beautiful dream that I didn't want to wake up from.
So that's it. Black Swan is incredible. I'm not sure I can think of another film that, for me, has delivered so strongly from start to finish. From my first viewing of the trailer to the time when the credits started rolling, Black Swan may have been the best cinematic experience I've ever had. That seems like a strange thing to say about a film that four paragraphs ago I described as a "beautiful nightmare," but it's the truth. I love this film. Period.
