The Ballerina's Descent Into Madness: Black Swan

'The only person standing in your way is you.'

Directed by Darren Aronofsky, Black Swan is the tale of a ballerina's descent into madness after facing her imperfections, insecurities and lack of control. As a psychological thriller, it delves into the raw urge to pursue and achieve perfection at all costs.

The portrayal of our protagonist Nina is through the imagery of colors of purity and innocence as a white swan. Yet, her true, repressed self, or perhaps in Freudian terms alter ego, is a black swan that has been repressed for so long, so as to not lose her control over her actions and responsibilities.

 I got a little homework assignment for you. Go home and touch yourself. Live a little.

For Nina, letting go is inconceivable; yet, as a black swan in pursuit of perfection letting go is inevitable. This pure, innocent girl must break free.

We all know the story. Virginal girl, pure and sweet, trapped in the body of a swan. She desires freedom but only true love can break the spell. Her wish is nearly granted in the form of a prince, but before he can declare his love her lustful twin, the black swan, tricks and seduces him. Devastated the white swan leaps of a cliff killing herself and, in death, finds freedom.

Compared to the identity that she has long embraced, a black swan must be seductive, fearless and unrestrained. To nail her role as the black swan, she needs to let go and release her ferocious side.

'I see you obsess getting each and every move perfectly right but I never see you lose yourself.'

However, after taking on this journey of self-destructive awakening, Nina has to face another difficulties that limit her to reach perfection. The characters that revolve around Nina, her overbearing mother, manipulative ballet director and free-spirited rival Lily are three main characters that lead her to lose herself.

Her mother is a repressive image that works as a force in her life, her director manipulates her into letting go in the very toxic way possible, and her rival Lily creates this dark, unsettling zone for Nina, causing her to feel inadequate, which leads her to paranoias to the point of exploring her sexual awakening with Lily; which is symbolically the exchange of power dynamics.

The Death of Purity: Her True Nature is Being Revealed

Behind the scenes of her mesmerizing show, the lines between hallucination and reality blur, and gradually, her psyche is let go of and she catastrophically collapses under her own expectations. Her purity leaves the room for her unrestrained passion, and seduction.

The fragility turns into ferocity for Nina at the end of the movie, as she peaks at perfection and the camera fades to white. This demonstrates both her peak and collapse. The transformation is complete, and the cost of this pursuit of perfection is her death.

In the end, the audience is bewitched by her flawless performance, but unaware of the torment that led her to this point of awe and sorrow. The cost is devastating, but she is perfect. Haunted by the thought of unattainable ideal perfection, she reaches it, and she becomes one with the very essence of her desire.

I felt it. Perfect. It was perfect.