DVD Review: Black Swan

Director: Darren Aronofsky Cast: Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Vincent Cassel

Black Swan
Director: Darren Aronofsky
Cast: Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Vincent Cassel
Price: Rs 499
Excel Entertainment
Extras **

This is a dark film. Edgy, complicated characters populate the landscape of Darren Aronofsky's multiple Oscar award-winning venture that catapulted the gorgeous Natalie Portman into the big league. It's ironic then, that the behind-the-scenes activity that went into the creation of such a dense film is almost mundane, as we find out in Black Swan Metamorphosis, the one special feature that's included in the DVD.

That's not to say it was easy though -- as the three chapters of the 50 minute documentary illustrate, making a film about a competitive ballerina losing her mind is hard work. But it's certainly not as dark and intense as what ultimately made it to screen.

The first 15 minutes seem little more than a tribute to director Aronofsky -- as choreographers, actors, writers and editors gush about what it was like to work with a 'filmmaker' as opposed to a director, because he has multiple references and points of view for every scene and incident in the film. If you say so.

The interesting bits come a little later -- finding out that the film was shot in a start-to-finish 43 day schedule, on a tight budget that meant not being able to shoot every set in 360 degrees and therefore fitting the best of everything into frames that could be seen from two or three angles, and the tremendous thought that went into the placement and use of mirrors, a crucial metaphor, in the film. What we loved was the last section, which deconstructs the use of computer graphics in the film.

From researching the shape and size of swan feathers that would be created virtually and then superimposed on the body of the dance double who portrays Nina (Portman's characters) as she morphs into a swan, to the creation of prosthetic legs, fingers and rash marks for use in the various scenes of the film, the SFX team of Black Swan definitely had their work cut out.

And watching how they executed it is fun as well as educational. Unfortunately, that's where the excitement ends. We'd have preferred a more in-depth look into the casting as well as a director's commentary, but you don't get that.