When Darren Aronofsky's Black Swan hit theaters, the prevailing opinion was that Black Swan was a "psychological thriller". Easy to understand how that mistake would be made, but-- as we said in our official review of the film (HERE)-- Black Swan is actually a "body-horror" film, not a "psychological thriller". Now-- amidst an ongoing, tedious, who-gives-a-crap media battle between Natalie Portman, her dancing/stunt-double, and the film's director-- Black Swan is on Blu-ray, and everyone who didn't see the film pre-Oscars can check it out at home. But should you pick the film up if you're not big on ballet? Find out below in our Black Swan Blu-ray review, my gentle Examiner readers...
There's been a bit of an uproar lately about Natalie Portman's dancing in Darren Aronofsky's Black Swan, and what a coincidence that it should all occur just as the film's arriving at your local big-box DVD retailer. Actually, I really do think that's just a coincidence-- something tells me that Warner Bros.' marketing department didn't put Natalie Portman's stunt-double up to causing all this drama just to move a few extra copies of Black Swan-- but a little snark never hurt anyone, right? And as for the drama itself: are we really supposed to be surprised that a movie star isn't as skilled at ballet (one of the most punishing, talent-demanding art forms on the planet) as someone that's been doing it for decades? Were we really supposed to believe that Natalie Portman is the star of the New York City ballet? What, did someone mistake Black Swan for a documentary? It's a stupid conversation to be having, and it's completely besides the point: when deciding whether or not to purchase Black Swan on DVD or Blu-ray, you need only concern yourself with one issue: "How much do I really enjoy watching ballet?"
You might have heard that the question to ask was, "How much do I want to see Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis get it on?", but the answer to that question will only be relevant for about three minutes of Black Swan 100-minute running time. No, the more important question-- the one that you really need to consider before buying Black Swan-- is "How much do I really enjoy watching ballet?", because, lemme tell ya, there's a whole bunch of ballet in Black Swan.
A few points worth making before we trudge on: I wouldn't have claimed myself a big ballet fan before Black Swan, and I probably wouldn't tell you that I'm a big ballet fan now. But I'm not the type of cat that's turned off by sitting through a film that deals with subjects that I'm not already interested in: I'll watch a football movie even if I couldn't possibly care less about football, and I'll watch a vampire movie even though I think vampires are the most boring, overdone, half-assed creatures ever to grace the silver screen. For me, the foundation for the story isn't as important as the story itself, so a large dose of ballet didn't stick in my craw the way it might in someone else's. Someone like my roommate, for example, who found Black Swan's numerous dancing sequences to be-- and I quote-- "f-cking boring, dude". So, while it's a question worth asking, consider what kind of viewer you are before you answer.
Secondly: You should absolutely pick up a copy of Black Swan, even if you do ask yourself "the ballet question" and decide that, no, that doesn't sound like your thing: While Black Swan does contain a whole lotta ballet, it's not a "ballet movie"-- it's a body-horror film-- and it's just as twisted as it is entertaining (and, yeah, there's a Natalie Portman/Mila Kunis sex scene, so factor that into your decision when considering a purchase: how important is soft-core lesbian sex to you as a person?). It's an awesome film, in fact, one of the very best that Aronofsky has made, and I found it to be even better upon second viewing.
By now, you already know the story (as it's been parodied about a billion times since the film hit theaters): Natalie Portman plays Nina, a ballet dancer who works for a belligerent taskmaster of a director in the NYC Ballet. When the director (Vincent Cassell) announces that the troupe's next project will be a revival of Swan Lake, Nina wants very much to land the lead role. But a talented new ballet dancer (Mila Kunis) arrives just as the tryouts for Swan Lake begin, threatening her chances, and Nina's starting to have strange visions...enough of 'em that she's questioning her sanity. Her overbearing mother ain't helping matters, and the fact that the director's former star (Winona Ryder) seems broken by the process of headlining in the director's productions doesn't bode well for her future. Where Black Swan goes from there I will not say (to prevent spoilers for anyone that hasn't yet seen the film), but just know this: things get nasty, scary, weird, and bloody for Nina before it's all said and done.
Like I said in my original review (HERE), Black Swan is a body-horror film. Body-horror films deal with the transformation-- generally in really vivid, graphic, unpleasant ways-- of the flesh. If you've seen David Cronenberg's The Fly, you've seen a body-horror film (or almost anything else by Cronenberg, for that matter). It's not a wildly popular genre, and perhaps that's why more critics didn't recognize Black Swan for what it was when it hit theaters: they simply haven't seen enough of 'em to know when they're looking at one. The popular opinion is that Black Swan is a psychological horror film, or a psychological thriller, but I'm sticking with "ballet-infused body-horror". Does it matter? No. But if you're a fan of that sub-genre, it might make you more interested in seeing Aronofsky's film, and I believe in giving credit where credit's due.
Be aware that the copy of Black Swan that I've reviewed here was the Blu-ray version, and that the video quality is absolutely amazing: there's a whole lotta black and deep shadows in Black Swan, and the Blu-ray format does wonders with these shots. The sound's also incredible, and if you've got a hi-def TV with surround sound, you're going to be amazed with the quality here: it's really one of the best overall packages I've seen in awhile.
Side Note: I hardly buy anything new on DVD anymore (it's been months). If you're a film geek that's held out on buying a Blu-ray player (or a hi-def TV), know that you're really missing out on seeing your favorite films in stunning quality. It took me awhile to join the Church of Blu-ray, but now that I'm a member, I'd never go back to my former congregation-- especially not with movies that look as good as Black Swan does available for purchase.
My Grade? A-
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