Black Swan: A Review

Perfection. A desire to be the best, yet it can be a jealously which controls.

Darren Aronofsky's psychological depiction of Nina - a ballerina selected for the role of Swan Queen - is mesmerizing and terrifying as his portrayal of Nina's obsession for perfection sees her delve into the realm of madness. She embodies the role of the graceful yet delicate White Swan but must learn to play the part of the sensual and passionate Black Swan. A perfectionist, Nina struggles to impress as the Black Swan, a role which requires the ballerina to be imperfect in order to portray the character. This is where Nina's blinding desire, coupled with a lubricious instructor and a rising co-star, leads her to destructive mind games which threaten to derail her dreams.
I won't spoil the plot, but I must point out some of the symbols used by the director.
Colors: There is a huge contrast in Nina's dressing throughout the film. She starts off in bright colors, often either white or some bright hue. However as Nina slowly embodies the role of the Black Swan, her dressing becomes darker, with the white transitioning to grey and eventually becoming black.
Sensuality: Nina is initially portrayed as mild and timid - ideal for the role of the White Swan. However, her role as the Black Swan demands more of her, and she is forced to find sexuality in order to fulfill her desire for perfection. Many will find the scenes inappropriate for audiences, in which they are right, but more mature viewers must understand the role which sensuality plays in order to understand the movie.
Mirrors: The inclusion of mirrors in most major scenes is a allusion to the *SPOILER*duality of Nina's mind.*SPOILER* Her perceptions from the mirror are not always what happens in reality, and the audience is kept guessing at which is which - a hard thing to do since ballerinas practice and perceive their act and movements through the use of mirrors.

Black Swan delves into the psychological state of an artist desiring to be ideal for a role in which she must undergo extreme metamorphosis. Question is...is perfection worth it?