FILM: Black Swan

[eon_blue]

Just got back from seeing this and my heart is still racing. Jesus fucking christ, what an intense movie....

Felt like I needed to set up an appointment with my therapist immediately afterward. There was a moment about midway through the film that I thought I was going to have a panic attack. Well-done psychological thrillers always tend to do that to me

Great film though. Highly recommend it.

 

[junglist15]

If I had a gf right now, I woud take her to see this. Then when I'm fucking later...it's Mila Kunis yay!8)

 

[mzemily]

Been wanting to see this, and reading this thread just adds to that! Hopefully they'll bring it to my town soon!

 

[Kenickie]

spoiler includes notes about The Wrestler, so, be warned. MAJOR PLOT POINTS SPOILER FOR BOTH FILMS (MEANING THE ENDING) IN THE SPOILER TAGS BELOW.

NSFW:

Pander and I went to see this and honestly as soon as it started I felt for her. Ballet is one of those things that people have no honest idea about. It's a violent and depressing and a vengeful art, which is so short and fleeting. I read in a couple articles that Aronofsky would have liked to show both The Wrestler & Black Swan together, or even make them the same movie. I entirely agree. Both centered on two people at the brink of making a serious choice -- to give in or fight for it, and both choose to do so, and, they both are rewarded and both die.

A lot of it was close to home, which made it even harder to watch. Some of the scenes were like cut out of my own brain, watching my older sister destroy her toe shoes before wearing them, stepping into the resin, etc. Both The Wrestler & Swan Queen dive into self destructive, harmful insanity. The editing, acting, soundtrack and the dance choregroaphy were excellent. It was startling and brutal and scathing. The person who I think needs more credit is Wynona Ryder. She was the aging, failing prima ballerina whos downfall was the cataylst for Nina (and Lily's) own insanity. She was only on screen for maybe 10 minutes but she stole every minute of those few. Her Beth was painful to watch in her desperation, humiliation and crisis. It's no surprise she does what she does -- perhaps she sees it as revenge, or maybe as a warning, or maybe just an act of her own self destructive psychosis. As for Natalie Portman - she did excellent. Although at first I thought the role was too easy for her, a good girl, how hard could it be for her to do that? I quickly changed my mind as her mother perversly examined her, shamed her, and lived vicariously through her, even as she failed at her own shitty art. When she became The Swan I had to gasp, she was amazing to watch. I know she's an actress, but her movements could have fooled me, even as a girl who danced for awhile. I highly highly highly highly higly reccomend this film.

 

[calmAnimal]

just saw even though i didnt think i would haha.

it was intense. i am not a ballet person by any stretch but it was a good thriller type movie. def had me on the edge of my seat and shaking afterwards.

 

[mzemily]

just saw even though i didnt think i would haha.

it was intense. i am not a ballet person by any stretch but it was a good thriller type movie. def had me on the edge of my seat and shaking afterwards.

I'm jealous! I live in a fairly small town so it seems like when there's something I really want to see, they don't bring it here, or wait a long time. It's frustrating! Hopefully they'll show it here eventually...

 

[JoeTheStoner]

i saw it twice tonight. i gotta get hype machine, imo this shit was a fuckin masterpiece.

i would of never thought this would a dope movie to watch while trippin, some very psychedelic scenes that portray nina's paranoia, and that scene with beth (winona ryder) ... oh lord + the girl on girl action. without a question, black swan = best film of 2010... just some random thoughts i needed to get out lol cause im still hype from seeing it and BL at 2:00 am oh how u have always been there. farewell

 

[tm1210 mk2]

Thought it was alright. Maybe just me but judging by the hype on here It wasn't all that.

Seen better this year.

 

[Wyld 4 X]

anyone else think Ms. portman doesnt look nearly as hot in this trailer? intentional, or is she just getting old? she is almost 30

Nah, she looks good. And since when does being near 30 make a woman less hawt? Case in point, Diane Lane is over 40 and looks great.

 

[calmAnimal]

portman was way to skinny for my tastes in this movie. i feel like i woulda broke her.

but mila. DAMN smoking she has the most beautiful eyes ever.

 

[Kenickie]

portman was way to skinny for my tastes in this movie. i feel like i woulda broke her.

that's what dancers look like.

 

[Wordswords]

the grace and beauty of the ballet sequences are some of the most exquisite things i've seen on film, personally.

 

[calmAnimal]

that's what dancers look like.

portman was wayyyyy skinnier than mila. not all dancers turn to skin and bone a start hallucinating cuz they dont eat. so no, thats what portman looked like as a bulimic dancer. not all the dancers looked like they were going to snap in a breeze. some can pull it off and look attractive, but my opinion is that portman did not.

 

[n3wt]

i saw it twice tonight. i gotta get hype machine, imo this shit was a fuckin masterpiece.

i would of never thought this would a dope movie to watch while trippin, some very psychedelic scenes that portray nina's paranoia, and that scene with beth (winona ryder) ... oh lord + the girl on girl action. without a question, black swan = best film of 2010... just some random thoughts i needed to get out lol cause im still hype from seeing it and BL at 2:00 am oh how u have always been there. farewell

I was thinking about tripping while watching it...I'm glad I didn't.

The movie itself is a trip. I really don't think any substance could have improved it, it was perfect the way it was. In fact, I was glad I was able to interpret it with my sober mind, and analyze what I was seeing. It's rare that you leave a film and feel like you've just 'experienced' something. Like something has happened to you and you need to examine how you feel about it. That's the way I felt leaving Black Swan, I can't recommend it more highly.

 

[Wordswords]

I already watched it in the theatre and so I downloaded it and watched it again. It is a very powerful movie. I love it very much.

 

[_a_A_C_c_]

i really enjoyed this movie. i can't fathom tripping while watching it tho, i have a hard time focusing on anything when i am not sober.

i have to agree with calmanimal, portman was too skinny to look hot. it had nothing to do with her age.

 

[grimble crumble]

saw this the other night. holy fuck what an utterly creepy movie.

NSFW:

loved how the play mimicked portmans character's life. (white swan is fragile innocent:portmans character, black swan steals the thing she loves: portman is paranoid that mila is stealing her role, white swan commits suicide: portman stabs herself) whats even cooler is the fact that the two intertwine because she dies during the dance on stage.

haunting, darkly psychedelic, tragic, and creepy

good movie 5 stars

 

[Kenickie]

saw this the other night. holy fuck what an utterly creepy movie.

NSFW:

loved how the play mimicked portmans character's life. (white swan is fragile innocent:portmans character, black swan steals the thing she loves: portman is paranoid that mila is stealing her role, white swan commits suicide: portman stabs herself) whats even cooler is the fact that the two intertwine because she dies during the dance on stage.

haunting, darkly psychedelic, tragic, and creepy

good movie 5 stars

what?

 

[grimble crumble]

what?

NSFW:

There was a scene in the begining where portmans dance instructer summarized the the white swan ballet.

He said the white swan was a fragile/innocent/virginal girl trapped in a swans body, only true love would break the spell or something along those lines. she falls in love with a prince but the black swan seduces and steals him away. This cuases the white swan to committ suicide and in death she finds freedom.

to me that summary of the ballet was actually also the plot of the movie that we as the audience were watching. natalie portman represened the white swan, mila kunis represents the black swan, and the star role represents the prince (or the object portmans character "loved")

Portmans character feels mila kunis (Black swan), is trying to steal her role in the ballet (black swan seduces and steals the prince), portmans character then commits suicide with the self inflicted stab wound and in death finds relief it seemed. (white swan jumps off cliff in ballet, spell is over)

so essentially the "white swan ballet" was Foreshadowing the movie. that was my take on it.

kinda see what im saying?

 

[AmorRoark]

I really liked it. 4 stars. I want to watch it again.

As an aside, one of my friends had to leave the theater during the middle because she started feeling ill due to the spinning/shifty camerawork. Then she threw up a little bit after it was over. Just wanted to throw that out there in case some of you are really prone to motion sickness.