Textual Analysis Essay

Dark swan is actually a psychological thriller based about ballet, this kind of give off a slight uneasiness as death, blood and gore and three things you wouldn’t usually associate with ballet.

Generally because it’s a show about ballet and dance then simply women and the casual man getting forced to view it by his girlfriend would see this video. The emotional thriller aspect of this video appeals to a number of people with that being a crossbreed genre, therefore not just ladies but for small male adults. The film was realised in January 2011 and won a BAFTA honor for best celebrity.

The first thing we come across is a black room using a spotlight of any dancer merely off the center of the screen with the voice over stating “I had a desire last night of a girl who was turned into a swan, and her prince falls for the wrong girl, and she kills herself”. This is often linked with Levi-Strauss’ theory of opposites with all the black place possibly addressing the Dark-colored Swan encircling here or perhaps trapping right here but she’s still the white. A great establishing shot of the recreation room the film areas much focus on gives us an idea of where the film is based, with a lot of dancers practising together within a dark place – the walls and ground are all dark-colored.

This color is of important focus towards the shot, this could represents the darkness of her mind-set throughout the motion picture and the fact she will always be left at nighttime. The genre just like Nina’s (Natalie Portman) state of mind is definitely unclear rather than one thing. It is just a hybrid. A drama and a internal thriller. Over the film the audience finds it hard to flag point what is actually taking place, we don’t know what is usually real and what is in Nina’s mind.

The movie is founded on the Tchaikovsky’s Swan Pond, a very elegant and graceful ballet yet Black Swan is the total opposite which also backlinks to Levi- Strauss’ narrative theory. The black swan and white-colored swan character types are exaggerated by the use of the colours black and white while those colors are often employed in thrillers and they are colours described as a code and exhibitions often offering the movie a sinister truly feel. With this kind of movie like a dance structured movie, there exists a range of camera angles and quick reductions often resulting in the anticipated and unexpected moments. The use of music and untamed tracks were also used to the films advantage because there was a whole lot of stress and uncertainty create.

The thriller was really created inside the mind of Nina therefore we see film production company through her eyes which is a symbolic code and actions code to keep watching the action unfold through the leading part or antagonist eyes which in turn brings that tension and exciting factor. This can be linked with Propp’s narrative theory of characters with Nina getting both the leading man and the villain to himself.

We are introduced to a pennyless ballerina toy, this could represent her child years or even her relationship with her mom being damaged which is indicated when we hear her mother say “what ever occurred to my personal sweet girl…” This can be linked in with the possessiveness on her mother and Nina’s a lot more getting resided by her mother- both of them wearing their hair in a bun can symbolize this. The protagonist within a thriller exactly like in a misfortune is generally in danger at every turn, with the many danger arriving the final confrontation with the antagonist; this can be associated with Todorov’s theory of sense of balance, although Dark-colored Swan in fact goes entirely against this and features dis-equilibrium throughout the movie. In cases like this interestingly enough the leading part and antagonist is the same person which in result ends with the small ballet eliminating herself following she performed and became equally Black and Light Swan and be “perfect”.