Case Study 2

The Quest for Perfection and Cost of Excellence

In order to gain a greater in-depth understanding for my character in "Valid", I decided to research the film "Black Swan." Black Swan follows a ballerina named "Nina" whose passion for the dance rules every facet of her life and her drive to secure the lead role reveals the dark side within. I chose this film for analysis as it deals with themes of obsession, recognition, and validation as well as the dark side effects that can follow.

Natalie Portman as "The Black Swan"

Growing Up

A key aspect of the film I wanted to delve into was the theme of growing up. This is evident in the main character and her journey. For example, her name "Nina" means "little girl" in Spanish and her mother still tucks her into bed and oversees her actions. As Nina progresses farther and farther into her quest to gain the role of the Black Swan, she begins to show signs of rebellion such as disobeying and distancing herself from her mother by going to night clubs, doing drugs, and other dangerous activities. 

Another way this is represented is with one of the supporting characters named Lily, who plays the role of the black swan and serves as a direct contrast to Nina by symbolizing adulthood and maturity. Lilly is a character who Nina sees as reckless, flirtatious, and someone who does things her way which is ironic given the name "Lily" means "pure." Her character is an embodiment of who Nina wants to be; a true "Black Swan."

Use of Mirrors

The use of mirrors in films is a great tool to visually show a character's self reflection; however, in this film it is used beyond that with the use of mirrors highlighting the internal struggles that Nina faces, serving as an exploration of who she is. The way the director shows the dehumanization that Nina's strive to be the swan queen entails is through the constant implementation of mirrors. In addition to showing great film making technique, the mirrors are riddled with symbolism as we are able to see Nina descend into madness and her transformation from dancing for the love of the art to dancing to prove others, like her mother, wrong.

Color

Colors that are commonplace throughout the film are black and white. In the beginning, Nina can only dawn the role of the white swan in the play. The white representing innocence and purity. Unlike Lily, who is not held back and rebellious, cannot take on the role of the white swan to the level Nina can because of this. However, at the end when Nina finally lets go of her innocence and the facade that she has been hiding behind her whole life, she is then able to dawn the role of the black swan which represents evil and her loss of innocence; a true contrast. 

These are all aspects of this film that I have taken away and intend to implement as inspiration into my film opening. Specifically the use of mirrors and colors were already an element my team and I had agreed upon beforehand to use, but researching how this film used it was good to see and understand.