Black Swan
United States
2010
103 Min
Color
2.35:1
English
Synopsis
From wrestling to classical ballet, director Darren Aronofsky has crafted another exquisite cinematic exploration of identity and performance. Black Swan is psychologically thrilling cinema at its finest. As the artistic director of a world-class ballet company (a stand-in for the New York City Ballet), Thomas Leroy (Vincent Cassel), starts the new season by firing his vitriolic, aging prima ballerina (Winona Ryder). Lecherous and manipulative, Thomas decides to stage a new and cutting edge production of Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake, a ballet that requires one dancer to portray the two sides of the Swan Queen: the innocent and naïve White Swan and the sensual and seductive Black Swan. Few dancers have the talent to master this stark duality.
Nina (Natalie Portman) is a timid but dedicated dancer in the company. Like most ballerinas, dancing is her life and her overbearing mother (Barbara Hershey), a former ballerina, ensures that her life is comprised of nothing but ballet. In a state of continual childhood innocence, Nina dances by day and sleeps by night under the watchful eye of her suffocating mother. A technically flawless dancer, Nina is perfect for the role of the White Swan. But she lacks the passionate abandon that is needed for the other half of the role. When a new dancer, Lily (Mila Kunis), joins the company, she has all the sensual energy that Nina lacks. Intimidated by this power, Nina becomes obsessed with her rival and the two form an uneasy relationship where Lily tries to help Nina reveal her repressed dark side through drugs, sex and wild debauchery.
But as the role begins to consume her, strange things happen to Nina. Her body changes, as does her mind, and the line between the production and reality begins to blur in a terrifying transformation.
With stunning visuals and masterful performances, Black Swan combines a rare mix of beauty and grotesquerie to shape a remarkable narrative. Potent and dazzling, Aronofsky’s latest feature is a testament to his visionary talent. –TIFF.net
Director
Darren Aronofsky
Darren Aronofsky was born February 12, 1969, in Brooklyn, New York. Growing up, Darren was always artistic: he loved classic movies and, as a teenager, he even spent time doing graffiti art. After high school, Darren went to Harvard University to study film (both live-action and animation). He won several film awards after completing his senior thesis film, “Supermarket Sweep”, starring Sean Gullette, which went on to becoming a National Student Academy Award finalist. Aronofsky didn’t make a feature film until five years later, in February 1996, where he began creating the concept for Pi (1998). After Darren’s script for Pi (1998) received great reactions from friends, he began production. The film re-teamed Aronofsky with Gullette, who played the lead. This went on to further successes, such as Requiem for a Dream (2000) and, most recently, the American remake of the Japanese film series “Lone Wolf and Cub” (1973). —IMDb
Wall
Displaying 4 of 452 wall posts.
Matt Burgess
21May12
Heavy-handed but exhilarating throwback to the early days of Polanski and Cronenberg, a beautiful, obsessive marriage of art and "trash." Portman is PERFECT, Kunis is fucking hot and Winona Ryder's brief role as a bitter, unstable performer past her prime is one of the greatest casting decisions of all time.
willythesalesman
5May12
though the movie possessed great intensity at the beginning and characters that had some great potential, at a certain point it becomes too absurd and contrived for its finale which was rather unimpressive.
Related Films
Fans
Displaying 5 of 5202 fans.
Articles
Our roundup of essays and articles on this film.
Oscars 2011
By David Hudson on February 28, 2011
So how did you fare? Did you Outguess Ebert? He wasn't alone, of course, in predicting a big night at the Oscars for The King's Speech. In
Awards. Spirits and Césars
By David Hudson on February 26, 2011
Black Swan, lost in the media fray over what was supposed to have been a two-horse race to Oscar Night, is back, having just won four Film
Peter Weir and Yet More Lists
By David Hudson on January 6, 2011
Voyager: The Films of Peter Weir opens today at the Walter Reade Theater in New York and runs through the weekend. In the Voice, Nicolas
Lists and Awards 2010. Critics and AFI
By David Hudson on December 12, 2010
Another good day for The Social Network. David Fincher may be sharing the Los Angeles Film Critics Association's Best Director award with
Technicians and Artists
By Ignatiy Vishnevetsky on December 8, 2010
Darren Aronofsky: a resourceful technician (Pi) of considerable range but little imagination (Requiem for a Dream), after attempting an artwork
"Black Swan," "I Love You Phillip Morris," "All Good Things," More
By David Hudson on December 3, 2010
"Ballet has been mourned as a dying art so often in recent years (even by its devotees — dark ash weeps from the sky at the demise of
Movie Posters of the Week: "Black Swan" and "Black Cat"
By Adrian Curry on October 22, 2010
Though they’ve already been plastered all over the internet, I’d be remiss if I didn’t pay attention to the four teaser posters for Darren
Venice 2010. Notes from Venice
By Boyd van Hoeij on September 11, 2010
Notes on some of the most interesting competition titles that screened at the Venice Film Festival this year, which wraps with its award
Venice and TIFF 2010. Darren Aronofsky's "Black Swan"
By David Hudson on September 1, 2010
The very first rumblings from the Lido are raves. Most of us can't see Mike Goodridge's review for Screen, but Awards Daily can, so here
Venice and Toronto Lineups, Round 1
By David Hudson on July 27, 2010
As mentioned yesterday, the Venice Film Festival will open on September 1 with Darren Aronofsky's Black Swan and close on September 11 with
BLACK SWAN Review
By Twitchfilm.com on May 17, 2011
“Nice timing!”, you might be thinking. Natalie Portman wins the Oscar for best female lead and here I am with my Black Swan review. Well, not to burst your bubble, but Aronofsky’s latest only just premiered
BLACK SWAN review
By Twitchfilm.com on May 17, 2011
A common refrain, in the early criticism of “Black Swan”, has been that filmmaker Darren Aronofsky has reworked his previous film, “The Wrestler”, to be set in the world of ballet. This is lazy criticism
BLACK SWAN Horrifies and Transcends (Review)
By Twitchfilm.com on May 17, 2011
A horror movie that imparts a sense of dread even while it dazzles the eye, BLACK SWAN lays open the delicate psyche of a ballet dancer who appears to be splintering under the pressure of her first star
Boozie Movies loses its mind at PFF 2010 with BLACK SWAN
By Twitchfilm.com on May 17, 2011
[This is your SPOILER Warning folks, there are some details of the film given away below, if you want to go in fresh, come back after Christmas!]There are times in life where you come to question the reality
TIFF 2010: BLACK SWAN Review
By Twitchfilm.com on May 17, 2011
“I kill myself for you people every night!” so the unspoken cry of the stage actor, or in this case the professional Ballerina, goes. Darren Aronofsky continues his examination of the psyches of performers
BLACK SWAN Blu Ray Review
By Twitchfilm.com on May 15, 2011
I recently recently argued with the inestimable Aaron Krasnov, one of our contributors on the site, about the kind of legacy Black Swan will have years from now. It was his contention—and I’m still not
Who's That On The Set Of Aronofsky's BLACK SWAN? Hello, Vincent Cassel!
By Twitchfilm.com on April 30, 2011
Though his involvement has been rumored for a little while there has never been any sort of official word as to whether French star Vincent Cassel really had or had not been cast in Darren Aronofsky’s
What's that sound? That's not a Vuvuzela, it's TIFF Buzz
By Twitchfilm.com on April 29, 2011
One of the great things about the Toronto International Film Festival is that it is a fully public fest. Buy a ticket or a pass and you can see just about whatever is on offer (and the sure is a……
Madness, Feathers And A Little Bit Of Lesbianism. It's The Trailer For Aronofsky's BLACK SWAN.
By Twitchfilm.com on April 29, 2011
Natalie Portman. Mila Kunis. Vincent Cassel. All three feature very large in the trailer for Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan, the ballet-set thriller from the director of The Wrestler, The Fountain and Requiem
Nine Clips From Aronofsky's BLACK SWAN
By Twitchfilm.com on April 29, 2011
Did that clip of Natalie Portman dancing in Darren Aronfsky’s Black Swan leave you want more? Because more is coming right now. The good lads at Bloody Disgusting have turned up a whopping nine clips from
Watch Natalie Portman Dance The BLACK SWAN
By Twitchfilm.com on April 29, 2011
Ah, now this is more like it. Last week a ‘music video’ was released from Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan and it was … odd. Though loaded with striking imagery from the striking film it was a weirdly paced
New Music Video For Aronofsky's BLACK SWAN
By Twitchfilm.com on April 29, 2011
A new music video for Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan has arrived at Apple and it feels … odd. There’s a strangely disjointed quality to the thing which may be appropriate to the content of the movie but
VENICE FILM FESTIVAL 2010: Aronofsky's BLACK SWAN to Open Venice 2010
By Twitchfilm.com on April 29, 2011
Darren Aronofsky does a 180 degree switch in the world of physical competition. Going from Pro Wrestling to Ballet. And it looks like the plot of the film is going to feature intrigue over intimacy.
Gorgeous Retro-Posters For Aronofsky's BLACK SWAN
By Twitchfilm.com on April 29, 2011
Um, yes please?A quartet of new poster designs for Darren Aronofsky’s brilliant Black Swan have arrived on the scene and they come looking more like 1930’s inspired book covers than like any poster art
Boozie Movies loses its mind at PFF 2010 with BLACK SWAN
By Twitchfilm.net on October 19, 2010
There are times in life where you come to question the reality around you and whether it even exists, or if everything is just a part of your skewed imagination. Watching Black Swan was most certainly
Gorgeous Retro-Posters For Aronofsky's BLACK SWAN
By Twitchfilm.net on October 16, 2010
Um, yes please?A quartet of new poster designs for Darren Aronofsky’s brilliant Black Swan have arrived on the scene and they come looking more like 1930’s inspired book covers than like any poster art
TIFF 2010: BLACK SWAN Review
By Twitchfilm.net on September 16, 2010
“I kill myself for you people every night!” so the unspoken cry of the stage actor, or in this case the professional Ballerina, goes. Darren Aronofsky continues to examination of the psyches of performers
What's that sound? That's not a Vuvuzela, it's TIFF Buzz
By Twitchfilm.net on September 15, 2010
One of the great things about the Toronto International Film Festival is that it is a fully public fest. Buy a ticket or a pass and you can see just about whatever is on offer (and the sure is a…
TIFF 2010: BLACK SWAN Review
By Twitchfilm.net on September 11, 2010
If psychosis is truly a necessary element in the creation of art, as Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan seems to suggest, then let us band together and thank the Baby Jesus for every nervous tic, social disorder
Madness, Feathers And A Little Bit Of Lesbianism. It's The Trailer For Aronofsky's BLACK SWAN.
By Twitchfilm.net on August 17, 2010
Natalie Portman. Mila Kunis. Vincent Cassel. All three feature very large in the trailer for Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan, the ballet-set thriller from the director of The Wrestler, The Fountain and Requiem
Who's That On The Set Of Aronofsky's BLACK SWAN? Hello, Vincent Cassel!
By Twitchfilm.net on July 23, 2010
Though his involvement has been rumored for a little while there has never been any sort of official word as to whether French star Vincent Cassel really had or had not been cast in Darren Aronofsky’s
Aronofsky's BLACK SWAN to Open Venice 2010
By Twitchfilm.net on July 23, 2010
Darren Aronofsky does a 180 degree switch in the world of physical competition. Going from Pro Wrestling to Ballet. And it looks like the plot of the film is going to feature intrigue over intimacy.
Lists
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Reviews
Displaying 4 of 30
Wild Turkey: Aronofsky's "Black Swan"
By Cinematic Cteve on March 23, 2012
Nothing flatters an artist so much as an homage, which can sometimes be a fancy word for plagiarism. It was with this in mind that I saw Darren Aronofsky’s “Black Swan” at the umpteenoplex last night… read review
A haunting fairy-tale with a great cast and cinematography
By Henrik Schunk on January 13, 2012
Darren Aronofsky follows the Wrestler with another Niche film, exploring the realms of a sub-art, this time, it’s Ballet. People have been reluctant to point out similarities between the Black Swan… read review
Black Swan
By Armen Karaoghlanian on October 30, 2011
Darren Aronofsky does things his own way. In this day and age, while every other filmmaker has made the switch to digital cameras, the young auteur is stepping back in time and working with Super 16mm… read review
Breathtaking.
By MisterNovember on August 31, 2011
I mean, it’s just absolute perfection, there’s no way around it. Nothing stops it. From that beautiful, haunting opening dream until Nina’s big finale, every moment had me absolutely transfixed. The… read review
Forum
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14 discussion topics.
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