Re: Black Swan 1080p Bluray Download
Kathryn Garivay
For the first time in his career, Darren Aronofsky directed a hit film. All the more strange, he did it with a tale about a ballet dancer. Black Swan stars Natalie Portman - who won an Oscar for her efforts - as Nina Sayers, the dancer picked for the lead role in Swan Lake. The director (Vincent Cassel) knows she can play the more innocent white swan, but does she have the passion/evil/freedom/aggression to play the black swan, the evil doppelganger? Perhaps with some help from the more sexually suggestive dancer Lily (Mila Kunis). Hit the jump for my review of Black Swan on Blu-ray.
Sanity and reality are pushed to their very limits when a young, career-driven woman is consumed by a crushing ambition and the taxing pressures of the dance world. Darren Aronofsky's 'Black Swan' is a masterful psychological thriller which works as a passionate follow-up to 2008's 'The Wrestler.' Both films explore the strenuous mental strain of the stage from two vastly different performers. One is regarded as the pinnacle of artistic excellence while the other is often seen as the low of popular entertainment, but both share in the demanding physical rigors which haunt and exhaust the mind. For Randy "The Ram" Robinson, his most challenging battle is outside the ring. In 'Black Swan,' Nina Sayers (Natalie Portman) spirals into a grappling match with herself.
Nina struggles within this triangle. One tugs at her to remain pure, chaste and forever an innocent child, like a white swan, even as she grows into a mature woman. Another pushes her to let go of inhibitions and embrace the wild, rebellious side hiding deep inside. And the third demands that she find a balance between the two. Her anguish and torment is seen through the use of mirrors, a very common object in the world of dance. They make possible for us to see things we normally can't, and in doing so, expose what we wish we couldn't. The reflections reveal the faults we deny or pretend don't exist, reminding and forcing us to accept what we hide from ourselves. Mirrors play a symbolic role in 'Black Swan,' down to the film's pivotal and devastating conclusion.
Turning in a well-deserved Oscar performance, Natalie Portman wins the audience over within minutes of the opening. When she gives her mother a glance over breakfast, her look immediately defines their relationship, one which we slowly learn more about. Like the mirrors reflecting back imperfections, her eyes convey much more than they should, full of emotion and communicating a truth she hides from herself. Portman is flawlessly convincing in these moments, carrying most of the entire film on her performance. And like Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake, Aronofsky eloquently blends suspenseful horror elements with the drama of mental illness, making this arguably his best film to date.
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment brings Darren Aronofsky's 'Black Swan' to Blu-ray on a Region Free, BD50 disc, accompanied by a Digital Copy. Both are secured on opposing panels in a blue eco-case and with a white, shiny cardboard slipcover. The cover art of the keepcase is the same, but it shows an alternate picture of Natalie Portman dressed in black when flipped inside out. At startup, things kick off with skippable trailers for '127 Hours,' 'Love & Other Drugs,' FX programming, and a how-to promo for Digital Copy use.
Vocals are splendid and clearly intelligible, making every reserved and timid whisper from Portman ideally audible. Imaging is beautifully expansive and involving, full of warmth and rich clarity. Dynamic range is superb, exhibiting a clean, perceptible distinction between the highs and mids, which is perfect for a movie with such complex music. The low end is full-bodied and hearty, providing the lossless mix with plenty of depth and weight. Rear activity is not exactly consistent or always immersive, but the music extends into the background with ease and surrounds the listener with a feeling of being there, in front of a live orchestra. The few discrete effects are mostly used for generating a creepy soundscape, which are convincing with smooth, fluid pans.
Darren Aronofsky's 'Black Swan' is a masterful psychological thriller set in the physically and mentally demanding world of ballet. It's a beautifully photographed but genuinely creepy film that harkens to Roman Polanski's early works and features an enthralling performance from the young Natalie Portman. The Blu-ray arrives with a gritty and faithful picture quality, accompanied by an involving audio presentation that adds to the disturbing overtones. Most all the supplements are exclusive to the high-def format, making this a highly recommended purchase.
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Black Swan is a 2010 American psychological horror film directed by Darren Aronofsky from a screenplay by Mark Heyman, John McLaughlin, and Andres Heinz, based on a story by Heinz. The film stars Natalie Portman in the lead role, with Vincent Cassel, Mila Kunis, Barbara Hershey, and Winona Ryder in supporting roles. The plot revolves around a production of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake by the company of New York City Ballet. The production requires a ballerina to play the innocent and fragile White Swan, for which the committed dancer Nina Sayers (Portman) is a perfect fit, as well as the dark and sensual Black Swan, which are qualities better embodied by the new rival Lily (Kunis). Nina is overwhelmed by a feeling of immense pressure when she finds herself competing for the role, causing her to lose her tenuous grip on reality and descend into madness.
Aronofsky conceived the premise by connecting his viewings of a production of Swan Lake with an unrealized screenplay about understudies and the notion of being haunted by a double, similar to the folklore surrounding doppelgngers. Aronofsky cites Fyodor Dostoevsky's The Double as another inspiration for the film. The director also considered Black Swan a companion piece to his film The Wrestler (2008), with both films revolving around demanding performances for different kinds of art. He and Portman first discussed the project in 2000, and after a brief attachment to Universal Pictures, Black Swan was produced in New York City in 2009 by Fox Searchlight Pictures. Portman and Kunis trained in ballet for several months prior to filming.
Nina Sayers, a young dancer with the company of New York City Ballet, lives with her overprotective mother, Erica, herself a former ballerina. The company is opening the season with Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake. After forcing prima ballerina Elizabeth "Beth" MacIntyre into retirement, artistic director Thomas Leroy announces he is looking for a new dancer for the dual roles of the innocent, fragile White Swan Odette and the sensual, dark Black Swan Odile. Nina auditions for the roles and gives a flawless dance as Odette, but fails to embody Odile.
The next day, Nina asks Thomas to reconsider but when he forcibly kisses her, she bites him and runs out of his office. Later that day, Nina sees the cast list and learns to her surprise she has received the lead role. At a gala celebrating the new season, an intoxicated Beth accuses Nina of providing sexual favors to Thomas in return for a promotion. The next day, Nina hears Beth was hit by a car; Thomas believes she was attempting suicide. Nina visits an unconscious Beth in the hospital and is distraught to see her critically injured legs, meaning Beth will no longer be able to perform as a dancer.
During rehearsals, Thomas tells Nina to observe a newcomer, Lily, who has a physical resemblance to Nina but also an uninhibited quality Nina lacks. Nina has hallucinations and finds scratch marks on her back. One night, despite Erica's objection, Nina accepts Lily's invitation to go out for drinks. Lily offers Nina an ecstasy capsule, saying it would help her relax. Nina turns it down at first but then accepts. She repeats Lily's assurance that the effects will only last for a few hours, and quickly begins to act under the ecstasy's influence. Nina flirts with men at the bar and Lily as well. After the two dance at a nightclub, they go back to the apartment, where Lily and Nina have sex. The next morning, she wakes up disoriented and hungover, and realizes that she is late for the dress rehearsal.
Arriving at Lincoln Center, Nina sees Lily dancing as Odile and confronts her about last night. Lily denies having sex with Nina the previous night and seems confused by her insinuation, saying she went home with one of the men from the bar. Nina becomes convinced Lily intends to take her place, especially after learning that Thomas has made Lily her alternate. Nina's hallucinations grow stronger and her injuries increase, going as far as hallucinating herself transforming into Odile. On opening night, Nina berates her mother for calling the theatre and telling them she was not well enough to perform, worried that the role might be too much for her. When Nina arrives late, Lily is prepared to replace her, but Nina convinces Thomas to allow her to take back her role.
Towards the end of the ballet's second act, Nina is distracted by another hallucination and loses her stability as Odette. This causes the male dancer playing the prince to drop her on stage, which infuriates Thomas. She returns to her dressing room and finds Lily preparing as Odile. During a confrontation, Lily transforms into Nina. The two fight, breaking a mirror. Nina stabs her doppelgnger with a large shard of glass from the mirror, killing her. The body reverts to Lily. Nina hides the corpse in the bathroom and takes the stage, dancing flawlessly as Odile and seemingly turns into a black swan, her arms covered in feathers. Amidst a standing ovation from the audience, Nina surprises Thomas with a passionate kiss and returns to her dressing room.
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