It's the tolling, soul-splintering but ultimately noble quest to accomplishment. From the reticent mumble "I just wanna be perfect" to the searching of Mathematical patterns underlying amorphous reality; both are studies in obsession, culminating in the deafening psychological collision of fact and fiction and the death of the artist in terms of their ability to create.
In 'Black Swan', Nina Sayers (Natalie Portman) must reconcile the contraries of technicality and passion in her work as a ballerina. There is absolutely no agnosticism about the tensions between the two concepts: mirrors and reflections are present in almost every scene; Nina and her doppelganger attack each other; Lily serves as a nonchalant foil to Portman's character; the archaic, ornate score juxtaposes with modern New York; and the pink clothing, teddy bears and music box suggestive of the innocent "sweet girl" that Nina is, are ditched in favour of red lipstick and romantic encounters, thus reflecting her burgeoning visceral awareness, all for the sake of her role. The seismic pressures from these opposites are evident in the film's melodramatics: a large slice of cake can induce a teary meltdown. There's vomit and gore too, as Nina makes the unsettling metamorphosis into a winged horror. Sound has a sort of insect-like sensitivity and meticulousness, with gentle shuffling of ballet shoes being amplified by Aronofsky.
Similar to Nina's isolation (being on strained terms with other dancers in her company and living under the watchful eye of her steely ex-ballerina mother), Max Cohen (Sean Gullette) in 'Pi' leads a solitary existence. Aside from two next door neighbours of his, Max only interacts with Sol Robeson, his Mathematics mentor. The limited variety of setting in both films reinforces the impression of loneliness being inextricably linked with workaholism. Likewise, Aronofsky's use of extreme closeups in 'Pi' and 'Black Swan' creates a sense of subjectivity and relativity connected to the artist's distancing from society. The synthesised music in 'Pi' mimics both the brain's electrical activity and Max's headaches. Meanwhile, the grainy, over-exposed black and white palette in the film is morbid. The motif of patterns in nature is reinforced as at several points Max constructs a spiral. This shape succinctly articulates the double-edged sword of giftedness that Aronofsky depicts: the honing of a talent gyrating out of control, threatening to annihilate its artist's world.
Thank you to hoboes.com and comingsoon.net for the images which I spliced together
Comments
Post a Comment