Visual Parallels: The Neon Demon + Black Swan

I know it's technically cheating since I already used Black Swan in a pair with Shame, but that was years ago and as for potential pairing up with Suspiria, Swan has way more visual parallels with Refn's latest, so I went with that one.

Spin-off blogathon

I've never hosted a blogathon - I never seemed to have an idea for it. And then while making one of my lists last week and asking people about its subject on twitter I thought - hey, let's turn that into a blogathon.

The list I was making was a list of characters that were on screen for few short scenes but you would like to see a whole movie about them. Someone so mysterious, fascinating and charismatic that you wish they had more scenes in original film and you just couldn't get enough of them.

Breaking Emotions: Hate + Love

This week MettelRay chose Hate and Love as the final emotions for her blogathon. I decided to approach HATE as the scenes which really get me to HATE things and LOVE as the scenes that I love to watch, that kinda make my love for cinema justified - first one is funny, second one is a visual treat and the third one, well, the third one is perfect.

Soundtrack Wednesday - Black Swan (2)

Track: Opposites Attract

Artist: Clint Mansell

Movie: Black Swan

Visual Parallels: Black Swan + Shame

Visual parallels is something I came up during watching films and noticing very similar shots or events in two different movies. with "Black Swan" and "Shame" their respective protagonists - Nina and Brandon - often find themselves in the very similar locations, situations and at times the shots looks almost identical. Not only are these two people struggling with their inner demons but for some reasons the directors of both movies - Daren Aronofsky and Steve McQueen used very similar places and techniques to show their characters' anguish. We have them looking with admiration and fascination and hidden sadness at someone their admire, we watch them in the subway many times in the movie and we go to hell with them - when they are surrounded by their obsessions, demons and weakness, bathed in red light of the underworld.

48 hidden images in "Black Swan"

I'm sure many of you who saw "Black Swan" clicked pause many times during the club scene. But did you guys know there are other times in the movie when watching it frame by frame can be quite rewarding? Since I can't exactly post all the moments of eerie laughter or flatter of the wings appearing in the background (because I don't know how to extract those, to be completely honest) - I leave it to you all to listen carefully. I can however provide you with screenshots I made today, using DVD, "e" button and movie player. Here we go:

1. In the subway scene in the beginning of the movie if you freeze frame you will see Nina is seeing herself and not Lily, although later on in the movie Lily is wearing exactly the same clothes and earrings.

Soundtrack Wednesday - Black Swan

Song: Swan Song (for Nina)
Artist: Clint Mansell
Movie: Black Swan

Movie Poster Appreciation

Shame official poster

Black Swan by Vincent Gabriele

Black Swan - Possession theory, step by step.

“Black Swan” is in popular opinion a movie about ballerina suffering from mental illness. But I favor the other theory – the theory about demonic possession. Because the movie is so subjective – we see what Nina sees, we experience what she feels, we follow her everywhere, there can be many theories and none of them can really be disproved. There are many clues that point to the fact that as with “Suspiria” the ballet company was subjected to the games of evil force. Force that for no apparent reason other than because it can, toyed with fragile individuals and by pushing them over the edge wrecked their lives.

Just a random thing...

...that haunts me.

Black Swan

(108 min, 2010)
Director: Darren Aronofsky
Writers: Mark Heyman (screenplay), Andres Heinz (screenplay)
Stars: Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis and Vincent Cassel
 

Demons laugh within.

“As I lie here and stare
The fabric starts to tear
It's far beyond repair
And I don't really care
As far as I have gone
I knew what side I'm on
But now I'm not so sure
The line begins to blur”
- Nine Inch Nails, “The Line Begins to Blur”

In my many years of being a movie fan I have never waited that eagerly for a movie. Having read both versions of the script I was sure that this idea can't fail, especially in the hands of Darren Aronofsky, who has never made a bad film. The movie mixes many fantastic films within itself, but the core of it and the reason why it's Aronofsky's best film is that apart form fascinating characters the story takes us deep into the protagonist's state of mind. We travel down the rabbit hole of insanity along with Nina, we are scared, happy and exhilarated when she is and we can't never guess what will happen next.

The movie follows the story of extremely ambitious and dedicated ballet dancer Nina Seyers (Natalie Portman in a performance sure to win Oscar). Nina is very hard working, unfortunately she lacks true talent and passion. She lives in apartment with her overprotective mother, former ballerina (Barbara Hershey). After persuading the director of the new version of “Swan Lake” Thomas Leroy (Vincent Cassel) Nina surprisingly gets the lead role of Swan Queen. The role consists of playing both shy and fearful White Swan (which is essentially the personality of Nina) and sexual and malicious Black Swan (which Nina has no idea how to dance). As Nina struggles with her role, new dancer, free spirited Lily (Mila Kunis) appears in the group and seems to be perfect for the role of Black Swan. To make matters worse, the ballerina of great fame, Beth, retires and blames Nina for her downfall...

There is so much drama going on in this story, it would be sufficient for few separate movies. The core of this film lies in the rivalry and physical similarity between Nina and Lily. Nina, most likely a virgin is a good girl – she lives with her mother, I suspect because there is no reason for her to move out. Her entire life is her dancing. There is a strong possibility she became a ballet dancer because her mother wanted her to, but regardless of the reason, this is her life now and her dancing and success are the only things that matter to her. Nina is very much like an innocent child, although being in her late twenties – her room is pink, it's filled with stuffed animals, her mother tucks her in every evening and turns on music box with a ballerina's figurine turning around to the theme of “Swan Lake”, sounding like a creepy lullaby. Nina is working way too hard – her body is ruined, she has eating disorder, she is freakishly skinny, her nails break and she has a nervous tick – she unconsciously scratches her back till it bleeds.