The tightrope and the net

[wiliqueen]

[Crossposted from my actor-blog as potentially of interest over here]

I saw Black Swan the other day. Like pretty much everyone else, I was blown away. Like Roger Ebert, I almost immediately wanted to rewatch The Red Shoes, something I haven't done in several years. That's partly because, though it's one of my all-time favorite films, it is -- for

Comments

[wiliqueen]

Me neither. I'm not going to test it, but I'm pretty sure I could watch it on a continuous loop for at least an hour. :: hearts Geoffrey liek woah ::

[yahtzee63]

Although I definitely got the impression that Lily was probably guilty of nothing more than sucking up a little (and some illegal drug use), I'm not sure that we're meant to trust Thomas, or think that he isn't destructive. I mean, he's not a Satanic force of evil the way Nina sees him, but he's essentially browbeating Nina to try and made her have a sexual breakthrough, in public, which is ... just not how that works. (Granted, he doesn't know the level of repression Nina is having to work against, either in her own mind or via her scary-ass mother. His behavior would read as merely imperious, not cruel, if he were simply trying to wrest a better performance out of a person whose life was more normal.)

I thought it was an utterly terrific movie. I wanted Nina to have killed someone - anyone, really, but herself - and to have gotten away with it.

[wiliqueen]

No, I totally agree re: Thomas, and I think I was unclear. Lily is, in my view, definitely not the scheming rival.

Thomas most certainly is an abusive bastard who crosses all kinds of lines he shouldn't cross, but I felt like the audience was given license to hold him accountable for it, where these stories so often seem to expect us to reach the conclusion that it was somehow All Worth It and even that the victim of the abuse should be grateful. Yeah, he seems to care about Nina's well-being in a sort of vague abstract way, but it's so low on his priority list that it doesn't come to the fore until she's literally dying in front of him. (And even then, I think the panicky call for help is concern as much for the reputation of his company as for Nina.)

Not. Impressed.

I wanted Nina to have killed someone - anyone, really, but herself - and to have gotten away with it.

I'm not sure she didn't. Unfortunately, if she did, it was Beth, who least deserved it. (But might welcome it.)

[yahtzee63]

Ah, okay, I understand you now. Yes, we're definitely meant to blame Thomas - he may be competent or even brilliant at his job, but he's shown to be needlessly cruel and selfish. I bought his fear at the end as sincere enough -- I don't know if we're supposed to believe that he's such a jerk that he wouldn't care if she died -- but it's the kind of movie that could make it clear that this level of concern isn't enough.

I'm still not 100% sure that she killed herself. I think it might be only the White Swan that's dying, so to speak. Stupidly, I'm literal enough, even with a film like this, to think that dancing two acts of "Swan Lake" with a fatal gut wound just doesn't happen.

I hadn't contemplated what happened to Beth -- you're right, it's possible Nina killed it. It's also possible Nina never went to see her.

[wiliqueen]

Stupidly, I'm literal enough, even with a film like this, to think that dancing two acts of "Swan Lake" with a fatal gut wound just doesn't happen.

*chuckle* I had the same thought, but most of that time the glass was still there. If she was completely dissociated from the pain, and if she managed to miss critical muscles, it's just barely plausible by dint of how puncture wounds behave.

I hadn't contemplated what happened to Beth -- you're right, it's possible Nina killed her. It's also possible Nina never went to see her.

Very true. There are a LOT of things we'll never know for sure.

[ceffyl]

Love the scene you posted. Had never heard of that series. Will go watch.

I haven't seen Black Swan, but Swan Lake is one of my favorite ballets. I can't believe Odette and Odile aren't mentioned! How can you not mention the names of the swans?

I also went back and rewatched The Red Shoes--one of my favorite movies as a kid.

[wiliqueen]

I can't believe Odette and Odile aren't mentioned! How can you not mention the names of the swans?

I think they might be mentioned in the prologue voiceover that outlines the plot of the ballet, but I can't remember for sure. I'm sure they just wanted to avoid confusing the audience, most of whom won't be familiar with the names. It definitely stuck out to me, though.

[maiac]

I'm very sorry, but all I can think about is A Chorus Line: "I never heard about The Red Shoes, I never saw The Red Shoes, I didn't give a fuck about The Red Shoes." That the character who says this is named Val is absolutely a coincidence.

[wiliqueen]

*splorfle* And now I have "Dance Ten, Looks Three" running through my head. (I know, your work here is done...)

Mind you, the awesome thing about that line is she's calling out how messed up it is that all these people keep talking about being inspired to become dancers because they saw a movie about a dancer who self-destructs.

[maiac]

"the awesome thing about that line is she's calling out how messed up it is that all these people keep talking about being inspired to become dancers because they saw a movie about a dancer who self-destructs"

Oh, yeah, definitely.

I just remembered that yesterday a friend described The Black Swan as "The Turning Point, with EVIL!"

Did I make you go *splorfle* again?

[wiliqueen]

You did. That's a pretty spot-on summation. :-D

[tytaniaherself]

Thank you for reminding me of just how much I adore that series.

[wiliqueen]

You're very welcome. That's just the quintessential Geoffrey moment for me, out of so many wonderful ones.