Black Swan Analysis

In the clip from the Black Swan, we witness the break down of the mind of a character via the way the film is shot.

The start of the clip is filmed using a hand-held camera, as it follows Natalie Portman’s character around. The inconsistency of the levels create a busy, chaotic effect and also make the audience feel as if they are involved- they feel as if they are the ones following the character, and have entered the world of the film and consequently feel more emotionally attached and involved with the characters.

The use of non-diegetic sound in this scene is effective, as we hear the laughter of girls just after we are prevented with an image of them. We assume that the laughter comes from them, however the fact that we never see it come from them insinuates that the Portman’s character is hearing things, and as a result we question her mental state.

The following series of shots show us the events of the film from the view of those in it. A point of view shot shows us how she sees and the following reaction shot show the character as being scared, confused and guilty. Consequently, the audience feels sympathy for her, but we are also cautious and dubious- as she is obviously unstable.

The following shot is of Natalie Portman’s character looking in the mirror, dressed in her black swan costume. The fact that she is looking in a mirror implies that she has a ‘split personality disorder’. This foreshadows her eventual final conflict with herself. Also, the mise-en-scene of the cluttered desk suggests that’s she has a messy or ill mind, also implying she is mentally unstable. The artificial light not only adds to the realistic aspect of the scene, but also, from the fact that it is ‘artificial’ or ‘fake’, we could deduce that so is she: she isn’t real anymore.

The over the shoulder shots that switch between the two characters effectively show the contrast of the characters through their very contrasting facial expressions. This also reflects the two very different sides to her, engaging in the conflict within herself.

We then witness another point of view shot, this is shot with a handheld camera, and is unstable and inconsistent, implying she is experiencing chaos and confusion in her mind.

The close up shot of her wound shows the audience that she has injured herself, confirming suspicions of her alter ego. The wound itself is symbolic, because as a result of mise-en-scene, the shocking red blood against the typically ‘pure’ and ‘innocent’ white costume, represents how she herself has been tainted. Also, the use of red insinuates danger and passion, both of which are becoming apparent to be themes throughout the film.

Throughout this scene, the iconic music from Swan Lake is playing. This is a constant reflection of her mental state- as the music gets more chaotic and intense, so does her mind.  When the music climaxes, it is at the point she realises her insanity and mental decline. And a close up of her face coincides with this to illustrate the moment of truth.

The fact that the music is that of Swan Lake is not only relevant because of her role in the production but it also foreshadows the character following the fate of the role she’s playing.

We then see her return to her desk in a shot almost identical to one we saw earlier:

The only difference being that she is now wearing her white swan costume as opposed to her black costume. This is dramatic irony- she has realised she has a dark side to her, and has no control over her own mind, (a very scary thought), yet she sits in white clothes, confronted with a visual representation of her cluttered, messed up mind. And calmly continues with her life. The use of white and black contrast reflects the two different sides to her and they both live her life, (both sat in the same seat etc.).

She then proceeds to apply stage makeup to her face. This could be a metaphor for her putting on her mask - it shows her life has now turned into playing a part as appose to just her job. Alternatively, it shows commitment to her role, as even though she is wounded and mentally ill, she is still determined to finish her role on stage and fulfil her destiny. This is her fatal flaw.

The scene then jump cuts to the stage, this shows how closely linked her life and the production are.  The fact that the camera is handheld means we follow her around the stage, we see that this is very full and chaotic- another parallel with her mind. The inconsistency with the camera shows her mental instability.

The production on a whole is dramatic irony. This is the final scene of the show and where everything comes to a close, and the white swan kills herself. This is ironic because it is the characters final scene before she dies as a result of her own actions. Also, the low key lighting in the scene foreshadows the unfortunate imminent events.

Within this scene, the swan is thrown between black figures. This is a parallel for Natalie Portman’s character battling with her mental demons. The handheld constantly following her round suggests that her demons are forever following her around.

We see the climax of the performance as she runs away from others on the stage. This symbolises the end of her life. Dancing and performing was her life, and the fact that she has turned her back on the dancers, (who represent her life), implies it is in the past, and so consequently the end of her life.

She finally turns and faces reality and her fate, and we know she has accepted what she thinks is her destiny.

We then experience a shot reverse shot in order to display the reaction of her mother in the audience, they are both wearing similar facial expressions- panic and distress. Natalie Portman’s character is in the light, in contrast to her mother being in the dark. This suggests that the mother is the villain, this could mean her daughters demise was her fault, as she was too harsh on her whilst raising her.

The bird’s eye view of her jumping off the ledge in slow motion is very effective, as it creates tension, as we see the physical representation of her mind tipping her over the edge. The audience consequently feels emotional and sad about the ending.

Finally, the last shot is one of pure white. Symbolising the end of her life, the story and her being restored of her innocence- there’s no longer any red tarnishing the perfect white.

The instability of the black swan is reflected through how the film is shot, lit and through scene parallels. This presents the mental decline cleverly and effectively, whilst sufficiently fulfilling the audiences entertainment needs.