Black Swan Study Notes - Film · PDF file(Vincent Cassel) and her rival Lily (Mila Kunis) ......
3
Directed by: Darren Aronofsky Certificate: 15 Running time: 108 mins Release date: 21 January 2011 Synopsis: Nina Sayers (Natalie Portman) is a ballet dancer who, pushed by her domineering mother, has worked tirelessly to achieve perfection throughout her professional career. Nina sees off the competition to win the lead in a New York production of Swan Lake. The dual role of The Swan is notoriously difficult as it requires the dancer to portray both the delicate, beautiful White Swan as well as the voracious and sensual Black Swan. Nina is comfortable as the White Swan, but finds she does not have the ‘dark side’ required to nail the part of the Black Swan. Tempted and challenged by both her mentor Thomas (Vincent Cassel) and her rival Lily (Mila Kunis), Nina begins to unravel psychologically as the pressure mounts and her personal boundaries are broken... Black Swan Study Notes ©Twentieth Century Fox 1 ©Film Education July 2011. Film Education is not responsible for the content of external websites. www.filmeducation.org www.nationalschoolsfilmweek.org
-
Upload
duongtuong -
Category
Documents
-
view
220 -
download
4
Transcript of Black Swan Study Notes - Film · PDF file(Vincent Cassel) and her rival Lily (Mila Kunis) ......
Directed by: DarrenAronofsky
Certificate: 15
Running time: 108mins
Release date: 21January2011
Synopsis:NinaSayers(NataliePortman)isaballetdancerwho,pushedbyherdomineeringmother,hasworkedtirelesslytoachieveperfectionthroughoutherprofessionalcareer.Ninaseesoff thecompetition towin the lead inaNewYorkproductionofSwanLake.Thedualrole of The Swan is notoriously difficult as it requires the dancer to portray both thedelicate,beautifulWhiteSwanaswellasthevoraciousandsensualBlackSwan.NinaiscomfortableastheWhiteSwan,butfindsshedoesnothavethe‘darkside’requiredtonailthepartoftheBlackSwan.TemptedandchallengedbybothhermentorThomas(VincentCassel)andherrivalLily(MilaKunis),Ninabeginstounravelpsychologicallyasthepressuremountsandherpersonalboundariesarebroken...
Black SwanStudy Notes
©Tw
entiethCenturyFox
1
©Film Education July 2011. Film Education is not responsible for the content of external websites.
www.filmeducation.org www.nationalschoolsfilmweek.org
Before viewing:
the work of Darren Aronofsky
ResearchthefilmsandcareerofDarrenAronofsky.Towhatextentdoyouagreewiththefollowingstatements:
z PROTAGONISTS–themaincharactersinAronofskyfilmsoftengoonself-destructivejourneysattheexpenseoftheirrelationships,theirsocialstandingandsometimestheirlivesz PERFECTION–ineachofAronofsky’sfourpreviousfeaturefilms,theprotagonistsaretryingtocaptureorexperienceperfectionz PLOTDEVICE–itcouldbearguedthatthegenreandsettingofhisfilmsisn’tthat important; essentially theyall have the sameplotdevice: aquest to findperfectionz DoesBlack SwancontinuetheAronofskytrend?
After viewing: representation
Aronofsky’sNewYorkisoftenoppressiveandindustrial,withhischaractersoftenseeninconfined,stultifyingspacesevenwhenoutside.
z HowdoesAronofsky’srepresentationofNewYorkinBlack Swan(andhisotherfilms)comparewiththeworksofotherNewYorkfilmmakerssuchas
MartinScorcese,AbelFerrara,WoodyAllenandSpikeLee?
Feminist critics have noted that female characters in film often conform to reductivestereotypessuchas ‘virgins,vamps,victims,sufferingmothers,childwomenandsexkittens’.
z HowarethefollowingfemalecharactersrepresentedinBlack Swan: - Nina - Lily(Nina’srival) - Erica(Nina’sMother) - Beth(Nina’spredecessor)?
z Doanyofthesecharacterssuitanyofthestereotypeslistedabove?z Inwhichotherfilmshaveyouseenthesekindsofcharacters?
2
©Film Education July 2011. Film Education is not responsible for the content of external websites.
www.filmeducation.org www.nationalschoolsfilmweek.org
3
©Film Education July 2011. Film Education is not responsible for the content of external websites.
www.filmeducation.org www.nationalschoolsfilmweek.org
Genre and TheoryAswellasidentifyingsimilaritiesbetweenBlack Swanandthe1948balletmelodramaThe Red Shoes,ithasbeensaidthatBlack Swanisinfluencedbytwohorrorsub-genres:body horrorandgiallo.DavidCronenbergandDarioArgentoaremastersoftheserespectivecinematicmovements.
z Research these other sub-genres and directors. What thematic and genericsimilaritiesorinfluencescanyoufind?z WatchthetrailerandlookatthespecialeditionDVDcoverofArgento’sSuspiria(1977).TowhatextentdoyouthinkthisfilmwasaninfluenceonBlack Swan?z Filmcanbeinterpretedthroughpsychoanalytictheory.HowrelevantareFreud’sOedipaltheoryandLacan’smirrorphasetoareadingofBlack Swan?Lookupthesetheoriesifyouarenotalreadyfamiliarwiththem.
Black Swan: The Wrestler 2?It has been noted that there are a number of similarities between Black Swan andAronofsky’spreviousfilmThe Wrestler(2008,starringMickeyRourke)andthattheirmilieu(theworldofballetandwrestlingrespectively)areincidental.
z ThinkingabouthowtheyaredepictedinAronofsky’sfilms,howaretheworldsofballetandwrestlingcomparable?z NataliePortmanisinvirtuallyeverysceneofBlack Swan,asMickeyRourkeisinThe Wrestler.DidyoufeelthecameracapturedNataliePortman’sperformanceinauniqueway?z Howarethecharacters’deteriorationsmanifested?
Activity
Drawastraight lineacrossanA3pieceof sugarpaperandwork in smallgroups.Sketch a narrative timeline across thepage andmake a note of every plot detail,confrontation,twistanddevelopmentyoucanthinkofthatoccursfromthebeginningthroughtotheendofBlack Swan.DothesameforThe Wrestler;ifnoneofyouhaveseenit,findasynopsisonlineor in‘Sight&Sound’.Comparethenarrativesofthetwofilms.
Activity
Untilrecently,Aronofskywasgoingto‘gomainstream’anddirectaWolverinesequel(hehassincebackedoutoftheproject).Imaginehowthatmighthavelooked!FilmatrailerorasequencefromanimaginedWolverineprojectinthestyleofAronofsky.Alternatively,drawoutanarrativetimelineandsketchouttheplot.
Written by Gareth C Evans
