The film opens with a shot of a lone ballerina, frozen in a graceful pose, illuminated by a single beam of light on a dark stage. It is this initial frame that sets the tone for the rest of the film and one that remains in the audience’s conscience

Black Swan is the story about a woman’s dream to play the Swan Queen, in Tchaikovsky’s ballet Swan Lake. This role requires the prima ballerina to play both the pure, fragile White Swan and the evil, seductive Black Swan. Our aspiring Swan Queen is Nina Sayers (Natalie Portman), a professional ballerina who has performed with a prestigious New York ballet company for years as a supporting dancer. Nina has been raised by her mother (Barbara Hershey), a former dancer herself, who worries about her daughter’s obsessive devotion to her work, yet simultaneously pushes her to work hard, to achieve everything she did not.

The director of the ballet company is Thomas Leroy (Vincent Cassel) who casts Nina as his Swan Queen. He knows Nina has the perfect technique, she is the ideal White Swan, pure and naïve, but she lacks the passion of the Black Swan. From his very first entrance, Cassel’s portrayal of Thomas is a testament to the strength of the screenplay. With every scene that he is in, Cassel summons a sinister air, along with a dark intensity to the role. Every line of dialogue suits him; not a word is wasted in conveying his character.

Black Swan is considered by Darren Aronofsky to be a companion piece to his film The Wrestler (incidentally, both films were originally intended to be one single feature). Both films share similar themes, such as determination, relentless ambition and the danger of committing oneself solely to one’s art. Yet, what sets Black Swan apart from The Wrestlerand indeed many films concerning an artist’s desire for perfection is the fierce ambition from both the cast and the director.

It is clear to see that Aronofsky wanted to delve into the psyche of a troubled mind, and the cast absolutely threw themselves into this movie. Black Swan was a team effort and spawned a truly mesmerising film