"The Black Swan" and the Paradox of duality

"The Black Swan" by Darren Aronofsky is an intense melodramatic  psychological thriller, describing the arduous world of ballet, where nothing is ever good enough- perfection is an agreed, yet coveted illusion.

The movie centers around a soft-spoken ballerina Nina(played by Natalie Portman) working in a fictitious New York ballet company, where she has pursued her dream of a lead role for years. Despite being 28, she looks and lives the part of a child, living with her  over-bearing mother in a cell-like cramped apartment. She sleeps in a little girl´s pink “princess room” full of stuffed animals and a music box by her bed, playing Tchaikovsky´s “Swan Lake”. 

Ballet is a world of unthinkable self-discipline: years of rigorous exercises and sacrifices amidst constant criticism and fears of physical injuries ending it all in a second. Training takes precedence over everything else and normal life outside of the art form is neglected. The hard work is constantly emphasized for the film´s audience: the crackled sounds of the feet, heavy breathing, sweat and tears are showed and heard in excessive detail.  Nina´s life is  and has been about ballet- there is little room for her own wishes, as she is aiming for what her mother failed to accomplish after getting pregnant with her- being a star ballerina.

The ballet company´s authoritarian art director Thomas (played by the magnificent Vincent Cassel) announces the season´s new project: “Swan Lake” with a new raw edge, “visceral and real”. Thomas treats the dancers as amusing chess pieces; he carelessly tosses aside the older prima ballerina Beth (Winona Ryder) for some new blood to bring in audience. It is obvious that he has slept with Beth, and the ease he exercises in touching and harassing the young dancers suggests that his position of power has corrupted him of guilt.

When Lily (Mila Kunis), a new dancer from San Francisco, arrives to the company, Nina becomes fascinated by her. Lily is everything Nina is not:  bold, loud, experienced in life and unapologetic. Nina fears her, covets her strength and fantasizes about her. At times the sexual fantasies suggest she might be homosexual. Impresario Thomas suggests she should dance more like Lily; not with just technique but with a feeling. Nina can master the “White Swan” but not the “Black Swan” of the story. Otherwise the star role would be automatically hers. This presents a dilemma: how to remain in her comfortable virginal role of a child imposed by her mother, yet please the demands of the art (Thomas)?

Tchaikovsky’s “The Swan Lake” originates from Russian folk tales and depicts the story of a princess (Odette) turned into a swan by an evil sorcerer. By day, she is a swan and nighttime she morphs back into a beautiful woman. Only true love can rescue her from turning permanently into swan form. Young prince Siegfried catches a glimpse of the princess and immediately falls in love. Later the sorcerer tricks him, however, by presenting his own evil daughter Odile  to the prince, and as Odile resembles strikingly Odette, the prince falls for her. Later he realizes his mistake, but it is too late, he is forced to marry the evil Odile. Heartbroken Odette jumps into the lake.

Nina is determined and dedicated to her craft, and therefore begins to pursue “the darker side” her director is asking her to show in dancing. She plays and experiments with drugs, alcohol and flirting while on a night out with Lily. While Thomas tries to force himself on her, she bits him. Surprised, Thomas gives her the main role of the “Swan Lake”. Everything is not well, though. The pressure to change and emerge from her safe cocoon of a “childwoman” result in evil twins and doppelgängers in the mirrors, subways, paintings and shadows.  As Nina strives for perfection in her dancing, her mental stability (if there ever was any) begins to falter.

While striving for perfection and disciplining her body, Nina is constantly aware and scared of the limits. Wounds, rashes and blood scare her, the example of Beth, former prima ballerina replaced for being old becomes a source of horror in her visions. After a lifetime dedicated for the pursuit of perfection in ballet, nothing is left for Beth, and she attempts suicide. The sight of Beth on a hospital bed immobile and badly injured is horrific- an open wound, an abjection which must be denied.

The incestuous relationship Nina shares with her mother does not leave room for adulthood or emerging sexuality. Her virginal and fragile self begins to pave way for the “Black Swan”, an aggressive and sensual woman which threatens the status quo. Signs of self-harm are visible and audible from the start. Nina vomits, cuts and scratches herself.  Aronofsky does not make the metamorphosis seem easy, as it never is. Some of the cuts on her body seem to emerge on their own and disappear. It is a metonymy of the cut that goes deeper, within her mind. It cannot be erased or concealed, at least not for long.

As the opening night approaches, the pressure to master her role as the “Swan queen” intensifies. The fears of replacement grow, evil mirror twin torments Nina and Thomas turns into something else than a plain art director. He becomes the Father, who calls her “her little princess”; the same words her mother has used of her. The quest for perfection and control of dual roles, both as “White swan” and “ Black Swan” weigh on her sanity. As Nina finally succeeds to drive the Mother out of her space(room) and reclaim her independence, she has a vision of her legs breaking under her. The traumatic experience carries on to the stage, as she hallucinates stabbing her evil twin/Lily. The removal of the Other is impossible without hurting the First. At the end of the show, she realizes having hurt herself, and the bleeding wound becomes visible to everyone.

"The Black Swan" and the Paradox of duality

The Antisocial Network

Funny how trends go about. First it´s the few innovators that proudly show off their new toys and habits for the rest of the vulgar herd. If it works, the masses catch on. The cycle dies, when the conservative everyman has heard or adapted the trend. Early adapters and coolness hunters are valuable in showing the way forward. This reminds me of Iceland, and how it is commonly used by companies as a closed testing ground for new fashion. If it passes there, it will most definitely work elsewhere. Don´t believe me? Go and visit. What the people wear now, is all the rage a few years from now. If anything, the current economy might even push out the creativity and craftiness in full blossom.

In the light of this cycle of chic, should we be alarmed of the recent death of the oldest known Facebook user? Ivy Bean was 104-years-old, had 4949 friends (!) and proud to be part of the network since 2007. She also used Skype, which I suspect is not the usual tool of communication for seniors in her golden age. Yes, the mature surfers are catching on the social media wagon. I blame it all on William Shatner. The old prankster with a phase gun has been tweeting since the early days of the service and currently is the proud owner of 417 394 followers. He turns 80 next year.




Jesse Eisenberg, the actor mostly known for portraying the founder of Facebook, was recently interviewed by Time Magazine. The young hipster proudly claims to not reading his mail, not having a television set for the last 10 years, and no, he does not have a Facebook account. (So I suppose the nine fellows or so presenting themselves under his name on Twitter are not really him, either) In essence, Jesse has decided to opt out of the all-encompassing influence of real-time networks, being in touch 24 h and knowing the news instantly. Or, that is at least the image he likes to give us. Why? Because it is cool. I can almost  picture Jesse carrying a vintage retro Nokia log, which works occasionally, carries a ton -but brings instant street cred for the lone cowboy who just doesn´t want to be like the rest of us. (Oh please, he so has a Blackberry or iPhone with him at all times. Trust.)

Another low-tech trendster and the original lady of hip is our very own Winona Ryder. She also has declared her open dislike for our digital age. While she treasures her old mix-tapes (remember those?), the girl has no computer. Apparently Winona has heard  that "one can find anything on there; troubles, salaries and such". Ms Ryder lives in San Francisco, of all places, so the idea of her being isolated amids the hot spot of global information technology development seems absurd. But plausible, yes.When you think of all the necessary information and services being available today online ONLY, it becomes  hard to imagine someone being able to live separate from the web (in United States). This leads me to assume that this kind of living is a right for the rare and privileged. In other words, one has resources  and people working for them in minding their affairs. Can you imagine living without a computer and modern communication technology?

The Antisocial Network

Only those who risk going too far, find out how far they can go (Fringe 0305)

The case of madam Courtney Love. If you have not read the extraordinary article about her in "The New York Times", please do so.

I have always been fascinated by this lady. The widow of late Kurt Cobain, singer-songwriter of critically acclaimed "Hole", Golden Globe-nominated actress of "People vs. Larry Flynt" in 1996 and the occasional muse for countless designers, musicians, hipsters and wannabes. It is fair to say, she has had several opportunities over the years; chances that thousands of aspiring artists would kill for. Yet, she can´t quite make it work. wikipedia refers to her as "an occasional actress" and her latest cd, "Nobody´s Daughter" managed to move only  52 000 copies. Albeit it is not the golden era in record sales, but still a long way from what was to be expected.

Her personal problems with drugs and mental disorders are well documented. Recently Love lost custody of her only child, Frances Bean, amidst rumors of mismanaging her daughter´s future inheritance. Courtney is not all quiet about her struggles- the lady tweets alot. I know, because I have had her listed in my Twitter feed, until I could not take the frantically appearing writings that are often impossible to comprehend.

The NY times article starts with Love proudly declaring her new shape, "I am trying to take better care of myself", while attending the screening of a new movie. Later she is found dazed and intoxicated, stumbling naked in the arms of artist Anselm Kiefer. This seems to be the pattern of her life. She gets better and clean, we all cheer- and then comes the inevitable fallout. The cycle has continued since the 90s. Her bizarre episodes entertain us, give us something to ogle and gossip. In this instance, she is the ultimate celebrity for our enjoyment: look at that, money and fame cannot buy happiness.


Courtney´s alleged repeated missteps in clothing choices and plastic surgery are well-documented and pictured. I was somewhat surprised to find out there is an actual website devoted to her whimsically artsy choices: http://whatcourtneyworetoday.com/  Some of the images are sad depictions of a  former grunge queen imitating upper middle class chic. If anything, Courtney is never upper middle class. She is a woman, who wears Narciso Rodriguez, rips it off and shouts F U for us to hear. She is like the anti-Madonna, who we follow not due to her fancy clothes, but what she does while wearing them.

"I speak to you as someone who doesn´t want to be perceived as a trainwreck", she declares to the interviewer in her hotel room, where she has been staying since last year. The room is described as messy, filled with clothes, cigarette buts, junk food and prescription bottles.  By her own admission, she is taking antidepressants, which, combined with alcohol, produce the kind of spaced out states she is often written on.

Prozac, depression and antidepressants became all the fashion to have and talk of in the 90s, with the emergence of books such as "Prozac nation" by Elizabeth Wurzel. Suddenly it was cool to be depressed and be taking medication; having mental issues were associated with creativity and brilliance. But the novelty value of being out of balance did not last long; by 2001 and Winona Ryder´s shoplifting incidence the stigma attached to mental problems began to re-emerge. Winona, the other famous dark and moody actress, was once the poster child for glorified angst and anxiety("Heathers", "Reality Bites"). Now, she was just 30 and found with 7 illegal pain killers in her purse, among them Demerol and Oxycodone. (The video is here )
Clearly, Courtney has missed the fashion trend in this instance, if there ever was one.


Yet, she is likable in the way underdogs often are. Her tales of humble beginnings aside due to her mother being an heiress to the Bausch & Lomb fortunes, she is charismatic in a way people with tremendous challenges behind them are. When she is calm and sober, she talks with a magnetic, quick-witted way about her.




As Simone Beauvoir remained to be always known as "that Sartre´s woman", somehow less genius than her lifepartner, the same was (is?) in danger to happen to Love. There can be destinies far more horrific in life than to be branded as "Cobains widow", yet Courtney is fighting it, trying to make something of her own name again and again.  Regardless of the value of her merits, she doesn´t stop inspiring us. One could argue that the whole look and attitude of teen star Taylor Momsen is taken from Love.

Only those who risk going too far, find out how far they can go (Fringe 0305)