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IMDbPro

Black Swan

  • 20102010
  • RR
  • 1h 48m
IMDb RATING
8.0/10
755K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
335
37
Natalie Portman in Black Swan (2010)
While vying for the coveted lead roles in a production of Swan Lake, a veteran ballerina (Portman) enters into a twisted friendship with a promising new dancer (Kunis) that threatens to consume her.
Play trailer2:19
11 Videos
99+ Photos
DramaThriller
A committed dancer struggles to maintain her sanity after winning the lead role in a production of Tchaikovsky's "Swan Lake".A committed dancer struggles to maintain her sanity after winning the lead role in a production of Tchaikovsky's "Swan Lake".A committed dancer struggles to maintain her sanity after winning the lead role in a production of Tchaikovsky's "Swan Lake".
IMDb RATING
8.0/10
755K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
335
37
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • Darren Aronofsky
    • Writers
      • Mark Heyman(screenplay)
      • Andres Heinz(screenplay)
      • John J. McLaughlin(screenplay)
    • Stars
      • Natalie Portman
      • Mila Kunis
      • Vincent Cassel
    Top credits
    • Director
      • Darren Aronofsky
    • Writers
      • Mark Heyman(screenplay)
      • Andres Heinz(screenplay)
      • John J. McLaughlin(screenplay)
    • Stars
      • Natalie Portman
      • Mila Kunis
      • Vincent Cassel
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 1.4KUser reviews
    • 690Critic reviews
    • 79Metascore
    • Won 1 Oscar
      • 97 wins & 280 nominations total

    Videos11

    Black Swan: International Trailer
    Trailer 2:19
    Black Swan: International Trailer
    Black Swan
    Trailer 2:09
    Black Swan
    What to Watch: "At Home" Edition
    Clip 4:23
    What to Watch: "At Home" Edition
    What Roles Has Winona Ryder Turned Down?
    Clip 3:13
    What Roles Has Winona Ryder Turned Down?
    Passer By
    Clip 0:37
    Passer By
    "You Bit Me"
    Clip 0:54
    "You Bit Me"
    "Black Swan"
    Clip 0:48
    "Black Swan"
    "Passer by"
    Clip 0:37
    "Passer by"
    "You Bit Me"
    Clip 0:54
    "You Bit Me"
    Black Swan: Performance
    Clip 0:48
    Black Swan: Performance
    Black Swan's Visual Effects Demo Reel
    Featurette 4:19
    Black Swan's Visual Effects Demo Reel

    Photos262

    Natalie Portman in Black Swan (2010)
    Mila Kunis in Black Swan (2010)
    Natalie Portman and Darren Aronofsky in Black Swan (2010)
    Natalie Portman in Black Swan (2010)
    Natalie Portman and Winona Ryder in Black Swan (2010)
    Darren Aronofsky and Matthew Libatique in Black Swan (2010)
    Natalie Portman and Barbara Hershey in Black Swan (2010)
    Natalie Portman and Vincent Cassel in Black Swan (2010)
    Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis in Black Swan (2010)
    Vincent Cassel and Darren Aronofsky in Black Swan (2010)
    Natalie Portman in Black Swan (2010)
    Vincent Cassel and Darren Aronofsky in Black Swan (2010)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Natalie Portman
    Natalie Portman
    • Nina Sayers…
    Mila Kunis
    Mila Kunis
    • Lily…
    Vincent Cassel
    Vincent Cassel
    • Thomas Leroy…
    Winona Ryder
    Winona Ryder
    • Beth Macintyre…
    Barbara Hershey
    Barbara Hershey
    • Erica Sayers…
    Benjamin Millepied
    Benjamin Millepied
    • David…
    Ksenia Solo
    Ksenia Solo
    • Veronica…
    Kristina Anapau
    Kristina Anapau
    • Galina…
    Janet Montgomery
    Janet Montgomery
    • Madeline…
    Sebastian Stan
    Sebastian Stan
    • Andrew…
    Toby Hemingway
    Toby Hemingway
    • Tom…
    Sergio Torrado
    • Sergio…
    Mark Margolis
    Mark Margolis
    • Mr. Fithian…
    Tina Sloan
    Tina Sloan
    • Mrs. Fithian…
    Abraham Aronofsky
    Abraham Aronofsky
    • Mr. Stein
    • (as Abe Aronofsky)
    • …
    Charlotte Aronofsky
    • Mrs. Stein…
    Marcia Jean Kurtz
    Marcia Jean Kurtz
    • Costumer Georgina
    Shaun O'Hagan
    Shaun O'Hagan
    • Stage Manager Sebastian
    • Director
      • Darren Aronofsky
    • Writers
      • Mark Heyman(screenplay)
      • Andres Heinz(screenplay) (story)
      • John J. McLaughlin(screenplay)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Darren Aronofsky told journalist Kim Masters in a radio interview (KCRW's "The Business" broadcast February 14, 2011) that Natalie Portman not only trained for a year as a dancer to prepare for the role, but paid for the the training out of her own pocket until the film found investors. Aronofsky attributed the film getting made at all to Portman's dedication and enthusiasm.
    • Goofs
      When Nina returns home and looks for her mother, after being assigned a role, a camera operator is visible in a mirror.
    • Quotes

      [last lines]

      Thomas Leroy: Nina, what did you do?

      Nina: I felt it. Perfect. It was perfect.

    • Crazy credits
      Many cast members are credited both as their role in this film and said character's corresponding role in the Swan Lake ballet
    • Connections
      Featured in The Rotten Tomatoes Show: The Last Exorcism/Piranha 3D/Vampires Suck (2010)
    • Soundtracks
      Apotheosis
      Written and Performed by Peter Min (as Pete Min)

      Contains "Swan Lake" written by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

    User reviews1.4K

    Review
    Top review
    9/10
    A Swan Dive into Darkness
    Darren Aronofsky's "Black Swan" makes ballet cool—and if that isn't a Herculean feat in itself, I don't know what is. It also happens to be one of the best films of the year, featuring one of the best performances of the year. Natalie Portman will be nominated for her devastating portrayal of petite perfectionist Nina the ballerina or I'll pull a Werner Herzog and eat my shoe.

    "Black Swan" is cut from the same cloth as Aronofsky's 2008 film "The Wrestler," if at the opposite end. Interestingly, before either project was realized, the director was reportedly mulling a drama about the relationship between a professional wrestler and a ballerina. Somewhere along the way, however, that concept was split down the middle—and thank God. "Black Swan" is brilliant, but it wouldn't necessarily play well with others.

    Like its predecessor, the film examines a physically demanding and widely unappreciated art, and though thematically similar, the two complement each other via mutually exclusive cinematic vernaculars. "The Wrestler" is ultimately a safer film. Its emotional experience is directly conveyed via plot and dialogue. What Aronofsky attempts with "Black Swan" is riskier: he plays genre Frankenstein, taking established themes and transplanting them into that which feels initially least appropriate—horror.

    Yet despite certain unmistakable cues, I'd hesitate to call "Black Swan" a horror film. Visually, maybe, but John Carpenter insists "The Thing" is a Western, and likewise there is more to "Black Swan" than is aesthetically obvious. It probably best fits the psychological thriller mold, but as Aronofsky suggests through his manipulation of mirrors, it is not a film that ever casts a clear reflection. For me, that dichotomy is what makes it so fascinating and rewarding.

    "Black Swan" strikes an immediate haunting note that seems to grow louder with reverberation rather than quieter. In the first half, the director lays track work; in the second, he runs right off it. Nina begins her journey receiving the coveted role of the Swan Queen in a modernist production of Tchaikovsky's "Swan Lake." Her practiced technique makes her ideal for the role of the goodly White Swan, but her lascivious director (Vincent Cassel) has reservations about her ability to portray her evil twin, the titular Black Swan—a character that embodies impulse and lust. Nina's process of unlearning takes her to increasingly dark, surreal depths.

    The final act of the film comprises the most riveting 40 minutes I've seen on screen all year, though "Black Swan" is never the mindf**k some have improperly labeled it. Aronofsky deliberately builds atmosphere and anticipation toward a Kubrickian climax that is at once obvious and stunning. Tchaikovsky's score falls like an aerial assault, and that inherent theatricality collides with Aronofsky's narrative as they come to a dual boil.

    Perhaps best of all, however, is that for all the audacity on display, the director knows when to dial it back as well. The casting of Mila Kunis ("Forgetting Sarah Marshall," "That 70's Show") was idyllic. She plays a comic relief of sorts, with a comely, down-to-earth veneer but viperous eyes. Her performance is fantastically calculated—she provides derisive, but much needed perspective on Nina's deteriorating sense of reality.

    "Black Swan" is a wholly effective work born from the shadowy underside of the mind, anchored by a career-defining turn by Portman. It is a quick, impulsive piece, but it explains artistic devotion and the consuming nature of obsession as well or better than any film I've ever seen. In hindsight, it feels more characteristic of the filmmaker responsible for "Pi" and "Requiem for a Dream" than "The Wrestler," though the parallels between it and "Black Swan" run deep.

    They may be cut from the same cloth, but the difference between the two is as stark as black and white. Hail Aronofsky, the Swan King.
    helpful•552
    226
    • colinrgeorge
    • Oct 18, 2010

    Everything That's New on Hulu in August

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    [object Object]
    Photos

    FAQ10

    • What is 'Black Swan' about?
    • Is 'Black Swan' based on a book?
    • What is the story behind the "Swan Lake" ballet?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • December 17, 2010 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official sites
      • Official Facebook
      • Official site
    • Languages
      • English
      • French
      • Italian
    • Also known as
      • Thiên Nga Đen
    • Filming locations
      • The Concert Hall, Performing Arts Center, Purchase College, State University Of New York at Purchase, Purchase, New York, USA
    • Production companies
      • Fox Searchlight Pictures
      • Cross Creek Pictures
      • Protozoa Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $13,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $106,954,678
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $1,443,809
      • Dec 5, 2010
    • Gross worldwide
      • $329,398,046
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 48 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
      • DTS
      • SDDS
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

    Related news

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