Nobody quite goes nuts like une petite jeune fille.
Darren "Still Batting A Thousand" Aronofsky's newest film, Black Swan, loads itself with portent and symbolism as it maintains a constant state of genuflection to the altar of high art. Somehow it magically retains the hallmarks of a crowdpleasing Hollywood movie. It is scary, gossipy and ties the audience in knots. Dario Argento's Showgirls goes Lincoln Center? Sure, why not?
Argento is just one beloved auteur who may come to mind. This tale of a young ballerina descending into a self-designed madness as she strives for artistic perfection had me flashing on the Brian De Palma of Sisters and Carrie and the Polanski of Repulsion and Rosemary's Baby. One could also describe it as a feminine Fight Club. All of these analogies are valid (and all are comparisons to worthy films - even Showgirls) but what's most important (and what I hope doesn't get diluted amidst all the name-dropping) is that Black Swan is very much its own movie. Its balance of horror tropes and formidable performances against a high culture milieu is innovative and fresh and very, very watchable.
This is a key point about Black Swan: it's a damned juicy picture. Natalie Portman's character (woman from neck up, emaciated child from neck down) is a frail ballerina poised to take the spotlight from aging (and drunk) (and cursed?) Winona Ryder, but she must also keep the yipping puppy that is newcomer Mila Kunis at bay. Portman's performance is a knock out, she's in practically every scene, but Kunis's character is written to lighten up every room and she nails it. She represents jazz while Portman is the strictest Bach. Despite having just a few scenes together, they are marvelous exercises in subtext and tone.
I feel as though I need to rewatch Aronofsky's other films to determine if he yet has his own visual imprimatur, but I can safely say that he is a director who is always challenging the audience. The dance rehearsal sequences vary from documentary-style to intense fantasy. His camera doesn't shy from the cold, dull cinder block interior that makes the backstage of most arts centers. I've no idea how much of Black Swan was shot on location, but he captures New York City interiors, from Upper West Side apartments to bars to the subway, with a precise beauty.
We've got a few more weeks before I'm forced to endure the annual ritual of listing my favorite movies of 2010. I've no doubt Black Swan will be on the high end of that count.
