Black Swan: Dreams of Reality’s Polarities (Blog Entry 10)

Aronofsky’s Black Swan uses light and themes of darkness to convey the dichotomy present within the main character, Nina. This dichotomy is also present within supplementing story of the Black Swan play. The opening of the film captures the aesthetic of the film and its’ tone. We see a dancer passionately performing the role of the white swan. Her face is distraught, pained yet elegant. She is wearing white, perfectly lit by stage light. There are shadows all around her. As the dance progresses, she becomes enthralled by a black swan. They struggle and the two polar colors contrast and are further emphasized by stark shadowing. The internal conflict to come is foreshadowed in this opening sequence that is shot with visual eloquence. What is happening is not entirely clear; we as the viewers can feel the confusion and conflict in the dancer. The performance cuts and we see Nina telling her mother of her dream. The multiplicities dream like representations reoccur throughout the film.

On the subway, Nina is wearing a feathery white scarf showing how she as a concept is representative of the white swan. Her soft clothing further emphasizes her child-like and innocent demeanor. She is soft spoken, easy to manipulate and overall tries to please everyone. However, we begin to see a shift in her character after she achieves the role of the Swan Queen. Her director says she is ideal for the white swan, but will need to find her black swan inside to complete the role. The dichotomy set in place by the story of the Black Swan will begin to manifest within Nina herself.
Also interesting was the sound editing. There are often sequences of overhearing conversations, creating a sense of madness. You cannot always identify who is actually speaking. In the scenes in the dressing room, there are whispers of gossip. They resemble what would be possible voices in your head. This mirrors the madness Nina herself starts to encounter. Also, the music supplements these fragmented bits of dialogue. To reinforce the dream like state of Nina’s character, the music makes the whole thing seem like one long performance and in some form it is. This use of music creates an intense and dramatic tone throughout the movie, creating a frantic and uncertain atmosphere. It seems as though we are constantly trying to differentiate between reality and dream.

Blog Entry 10: Aesthetic appeal of Black Swan

Blog Entry 10: Aesthetic appeal of Black Swan (2010)

Write 300-600+ words on the following:

For this entry, find a way to engage with the aesthetic appeal of Black Swan. If you’ve seen the film, this entry should be easy and you should be in good shape to start thinking about how you would write about this–and the first step is to go back and watch it again and take notes! If you haven’t gotten a chance to see this film yet, do so asap, and then watch it again and take notes!

If you’ve seen the film:

ANALYZE the visual elements that are most striking and begin to take note of patterns that you’re starting to notice. What recurring techniques does Aronofsky use to convey innocence, deceit, obsession, fear, madness? Pay particular attention to the use of light and dark in the film, both in clothing and in actual lighting/shadow choices, as well as body language, staging, choreography, shot/frame composition (camera angles), perspective, the duration of scenes, the use of music, dialogue, etc.

Begin to ARGUE what makes this film most effective… and what this effect is!

If you haven’t yet seen the film:

ANALYZE how our society has treated this film. It has received numerous awards, the actors and actresses have provided statements about their roles in the film, Aronofsky has given interviews, and the film was promoted in several highly visible media including movie posters and trailers.

ARGUE: what do these artifacts suggest about what kind of film this is, what its intended message is to the audience, and what kinds of visual rhetoric this film will employ? Provide links to specific examples of media that support your argument.

For your post:

• Come up with a snazzy title for your post
• Pay attention to organization, flow, style, and mechanics
• I recommend composing it in Word first, then posting via copy/paste

For your responses: (3 responses, 100-300+ words each)

• READ your classmate’s analysis
• RESPOND to your classmate’s argument and react to their analysis and exploration/connection to big ideas. Feel free to provide praise, questions, constructive criticism, or agree/disagree– just make sure you do so respectfully.

I will calculate your grade out of 100 points: 70 for your own post and 10 for each response. Please look at the general rubric in the syllabus for an idea of what I expect. I will award bonus points at the end of the course if I see you consistently going above and beyond the minimum expectations, responding to additional posts, and engaging with dialogue with those who have responded to you!