Natalie’s danse macabre

A MANIA for perfection drives ballerina Nina Sayers (Natalie Portman) in Black Swan (US/16/107 mins), when she finally achieves her dream role, the White Swan, in Swan Lake.

A technically-brilliant dancer, Nina grows unhinged when bullied by the production’s director, Thomas Leroy (Vincent Cassel), to dig deep into her psyche and excavate the darkness she requires to play the White Swan’s doppelganger and usurper, the Black Swan.

Darren Aronofsky’s film mirrors the narrative of Swan Lake, as Nina’s stand-in alternate, Lily (Mila Kunis), complete with black wings tattooed on her back, seeks to take Nina’s place as the production’s lead, in the process vying for Leroy’s affections. As delicately poised as any ballet, the film is a visual treat, with Aronofsky taking every opportunity to emphasise the conflict between the rivals, and within Nina herself, by layering on chiaroscuro clashes of black against white.