![Black Swan [Blu-ray] (2010)](/wp_content/uploads/2011/04/41slz1DrcdL._SL500_AA300__150x150.jpg "Black Swan [Blu-ray] (2010)")
BLACK SWAN (2010, Blu-ray released March 29, 2011 – MSRP $39.99)
| MOVIE: |
 |
| VIDEO: |
 |
| AUDIO: |
|
| EXTRAS: |
|
| BLU-RAY: |
|
Director Darren Aronofsky‘s entire filmmaking career has been leading to the creation of Black Swan. It’s a dark, metaphysical drama that fuses the conceptual gymnastics of his earlier work with the gritty, real style of the film that directly preceded it, The Wrestler.
- “Natalie Portman delivers “the performance of her career” (Vanity Fair) as Nina, a stunningly talented but dangerously unstable ballerina on the verge of stardom. Pushed to the breaking point posed by a seductive rival dancer (Mila Kunis), Nina’s tenuous grip on reality starts to slip away – plunging her into a waking nightmare.“
I guess I can sort of understand where a lot of critics (and friends of mine) are coming from when they slam Black Swan for being pretentious or masturbatory. I mean, any tale that speaks about life in the art-world, whether it be in dance, theatre, visual art or film, stands to come off as wantonly ostentatious or insular. It’s the nature of the beast. Stories about actors and singers and dancers will always be about ego and come off feeling just as self-important as the characters they’re focusing on. To Aronofsky’s credit, he and the film’s writers have used this common characteristic to advance the plot, turning the glamour of the dance world and the ego and desire of one of its performers into a dark world of horror.
This is one of the best films I’ve seen in a long time. I honestly can’t fault it in the slightest. It’s as close to a perfect modern film as I would want to see, blending modern techniques – psycho-subjective narrative, vérité-style use of digital camera work (in this case, blended with 16 mm), re-imagined and re-orchestrated music – with classical imagery and character arcs. Portman and Kunis give the performances of their careers, handling the call to shift tone and style from scene to scene with incredible aplomb. Production design is out of this world and Clint Mansell‘s score, a darker, mashed-up version of Tchaikovsky‘s Swan Lake is to die for.
Fox brings Black Swan to Blu-ray with a stunning transfer that’s completely faithful to the source material. This isn’t glossy Hollywood fare here. This is gritty, crunchy film and video, with lots of grain and a bunch of noise. But that’s how it was shot by brilliant cinematographer Matthew Libatique. And that’s exactly how the Blu-ray looks. Spectacular! A tremendous job by Fox! The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track is rich and haunting, perfectly rendering the score and atmospheric touches that ramp up the terror.
The collection of special features is highlighted by a fantastic, much-see 49-minute documentary that’s nearly worth the purchase price on its own. ‘Black Swan Metamorphosis‘ covers all aspects of the production from conception to design to performance, filming and effects, interviewing most of the key players along the way. Great stuff! The disc also includes 11 additional short featurettes, profiling actors, the director, looking at production design, ballet and more. It’s rounded out with BD-Live extras, mobile features that support the Pocket BLU app for smartphones and a trailer.
Highly recommended!!!
Special Features:
- Metamorphosis: A Three-Part Series
- A behind the scenes look at the filmmaking process from Darren Aronofsky’s visionary directing, to the physically-demanding acting, to the stunning special effects.
- Behind the Curtain
- An inside look at the film’s costume and production design.
- Ten Years in the Making
- Natalie Portman and Darren Aronofsky discuss their creative journey, from “preparing for the role” to “dancing with the camera.”
- Cast Profiles – Roles of a Lifetime
- Presented by Fox Movie Channel, the stars reflect on the their challenging and rewarding characters
Discussion
No comments for “Black Swan Blu-ray Disc Review”