'Black Swan' Deconstructed

Shorya Sehgal

Black Swan is a Psycho-Thriller that narrates the demise of a young, talented twenty-some year old ballerina, Nina, whose passion for the dance rules every facet of her life.
The story begins when the company's artistic director decides to replace his prima ballerina for their opening production of "Swan Lake." Nina was his first choice. She had competition in newcomer Lily however. As the rivalry between the two transforms into a twisted friendship, Nina's dark side began to emerge. Nina started showing many symptoms of schizophrenia and psychosis. Her metamorphosis was so complete, that Nina eventually developed webbed feet, bird-like legs and sprouts feathers and wings to actually become the black swan.

While Black Swan is a beautiful tale to watch, the movie’s practical approach is extremely low. The visuals of the movie are extremely interesting, yet it definitely lacks a realistic value while portraying all the disorders that Nina seems to have. Although the way the disorders which have been portrayed might be right, the intensity of all the disorders happening together seems to be unrealistic. Despite this, one cannot deny that the cinematography is brilliant and keeps the viewer extremely engrossed till the very last bit.

The movie was intense, disturbing, fascinating and mysterious. There were instances in the movie, where it was tough for me to differentiate between what was real in Nina’s life and what was a hallucination. In visual hallucinations, she saw a black-clad version of herself across the subway platform and again in the maze of hallways at Lincoln Center. Even the pink stuffed animals that adorn the bedroom she shared with her neurotic mother seemed to come alive and mock at her.

The psychological meltdown around which Black Swan is based is lent authenticity by the introduction and a somewhat accurate depiction of a variety of psychological conditions and principles. The film’s exploration of Nina’s perfectionism, her defining trait, works in both the director’s critique of professional ballet and in his examination of a significant personality disorder.
The movie is an extremely interesting rendering of a crisis of identity. It suggests to the viewer that, once the established defenses of the traumatised and infantilised protagonist are challenged by the unrelenting pressure of the external world or by a disturbed unconscious, a breakdown is likely. The final scene in the film, in particular, illustrates the consequences of her unhealthy attachment to her mother, and dramatically demonstrates its tragic consequences.

Another striking aspect of the film for me is its high generalisability to the current world. The film is able to convince viewers, or me at least, that a reasonable outcome of a career path these days is mental illness of one form or another: The competition is relentless, the glory is short-lived, the regiment is literally disfiguring to one's body. Technical mastery is required, and yet, when in character, the dancer was expected to somehow forget the grueling years of training and appear spontaneous and free. As it morphs into a nightmare, I began to completely empathize and even feel myself slipping away from reality.

While the movie does an excellent job of portraying the terror related to psychosis, there is a large amount of artistic license taken. There are simply too many psychological issues going on with Nina. She shows elements of an anxiety disorder with obsessive compulsive behaviors. She also manifests self-injurious behavior and some signs of an eating disorder. She dabbles with substance abuse. She has psychotic breaks if not outright psychosis. A case could also be made for a personality disorder. It is highly unlikely that all of these elements could coexist in one person, especially someone performing as a ballerina at such a high level. Despite this particular criticism, the movie does a good job of portraying the struggle with severe psychological illness and thus, the intertwining of this psychodrama with the story of Swan Lake can be described as brilliant.