Black Swan Opening scene analysis

Black Swan Opening scene analysis

Black Swan is a 2010 American psychological thriller-horror film directed by Darren Aronofsky and starring Natalie Portman, Vincent Cassel, and Mila Kunis. The plot is about a production of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake ballet by a famous New York City company. The production requires a ballerina to play the innocent and fragile White Swan, for which the committed dancer Nina (Portman) is a perfect fit, as well as the dark and sensual Black Swan, which are qualities better embodied by the new arrival Lily (Kunis). Nina is overwhelmed by a feeling of huge pressure when she finds herself competing for the part, causing her to lose her tenuous grip on reality and descend into a living nightmare. The thriller made a whopping $329,398,046 in box office.

Sound

the score for this opening clip is incredibly effective as it is a piece from the actual ballet itself "swan lake" therefore it makes the audience feel like they're actually at the theatre. This particular piece is particularly powerful as it creates massive tension with the music building and building until it finally comes to a peaceful stop. The music gives the audience the impression that this is a thriller and definitely not a very relaxing film.    

Mise en Scene

First of all, the obvious fact of this opening clip is how dark the scenery is. The director has chosen to make this scene so dark because it is a straight out warning to the audience at how horror this film will be. The dark colour pallet straight away creates a gothic and mysterious atmosphere. What makes this scene even more impressive is the emphasis on the main characters white dress as it juxtaposes the black scene perfectly. I like the mise en scene because it almost sends chills down your spine with the eerie and pitch black scenery. 

Editing and camera

The editing and camera in this extract is very compelling, as the extremely clever camera work almost makes you feel like you're on the stage. One effective editing technique that was used was the lack of cuts during the dancing. This worked very well because it felt like you were actually on stage with the characters. Camera angles were used well also, For example the long shot at the start worked well because you could only see part of the character and it gave it a mysterious feel. Another shot that was interestingly used was a floor shot near the start, this was interesting because it meant that you couldn't see the character's face which gives a sense of mystery and secrecy, it makes the audience feel tension