What Mental Illness Does Nina Have in 'Black Swan': Critical Essay

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What Mental Illness Does Nina Have in ‘Black Swan’: Critical Essay

Natalie Portman starred in Black Swan released into theaters in 2010. Although it was filmed nearly 10 years ago the storyline is still a disturbing yet beautiful film many still watch today. After reviewing this film I have come to argue the point that this film is the story of how losing ones self is the price to pay for perfection. There have been many tales with this similar plot, yet in Black Swan, it seems so much more externalized.

Throughout the movie, there seems to be this idea of perfection. Its all that Nina dreams and what thinks of. The opening scene is Nina dreaming of staring in the ballet as the white swan. Arising, we see her stretch in front of a mirror, you noticed that there are mirrors everywhere throughout the film. Mirrors are known to be a symbol of reflection. Reflecting light is a powerful symbol, through the light you see awareness and wisdom. The downside of mirrors is they are symbols of your truth. I believe Nina sees her flaws and once she is cast as the Swan Queen, she strives for only perfection and sees that her personality is in tune with the white swan but not the black. Within the mirrors, we can also see what facials Nina carries which is a clue to what she feels. I believe that the mirrors are used to portray what Nina is internally feeling and the strive for perfection by staring at herself often.

In the scene where Nina is told by Thomas that its too obvious she is faking the black swan, that its not authentic, she is advised to slowly start to corrupt herself. With every step closer to the performance, she starts to lose her morals. Masturbation-exploring lust, smoking, clubbing, drinking, and ingesting drugs. All these scenes make it obvious that she does all of these things not for her own pleasure, but because she constantly feels that she needs to shed her innocence to be an authentic black swan queen. Its almost that when Nina is chosen for the part she begins to go through the rebellious teenage years. Nina looked innocent, like a child. The name Nina means little girl, its who she is.

Throughout scenes in the movie, we see the two personas of the swans fight with Nina. There is the innocent, fragile swan who is sheltered and dreams. Then the black swan who fights and has to work for her dreams has to let go and for once not think about everything. We see this when Nina is trying her best in the audition, but it isnt good enough. So she bites Thoma’s lip when he kisses her during their talk about her asking for the part. It wasnt something she planned to do, but it is that spark that symbol of the dark swan being buried deep inside.

Now there are two other people I want to discuss. First is Lily, played by Mila Kunis. Lily is the complete opposite of Nina-the embodiment of the black swan herself. Nina, who is known to obsess about perfection and pay close attention to every tiny detail watching her, analyzes Lily. Nina sees the threat of Lily and knows that the black swan would be the perfect role for her. What she didnt see is that she has lost her innocence, she couldnt fake the part of perfection in the white swan. In the scene at the bar when the two men ask if Lily and Nina were sisters, I see it as a way to show that the two are similar. That the two would be a perfect match for the twin swans. Nina the picture-perfect image of the white swan and Lily the image of the Black. When the lesbian hookup scene between Lily and Nina is shown, the iconic scene is often seen as just a hot sexual scene the writers needed to put in because sex sells, or that it was Nina lusting after Lily, I disagree. It is a figment of Ninas imagination, her obsession out of control again. Its the yearning she feels to embody Lily as the black swan, the black wings tattooed on Lilys shoulder blades are a symbolic way of showing that. Another detail is the underwear the two chose to wear, Lily is sporting a black lingerie ensemble complete with black garters and stockings. Nina was clad in pale pink underwear and a mismatched bra, not thinking to look seductive to anyone.

The second person I want to discuss is Ninas mother. A ballerina who had to put her career behind because she had a baby, I feel that her mother is always in some sort of resentful. Yes, Nina grew up close with her mom, sheltered and kept away. Yes, she felt joy for her daughter when she landed the part, but it was a surprise she didnt think Nina had it in her. There is a sort of love shown in the film, perhaps her mother sheltered her to keep her out of the situations she was in herself. But it seems that once Nina is cast as the lead, envy is evident in her mothers behavior. Her mother cant let her go, she refuses to allow Nina to grow up and at 28 years old Nina took control of her life. She grew up, that was the crossing of the line of growing up.

My last insight has me questioning if Nina’s mother knew her daughter had/has multiple mental disorders. In scenes of the movie, we see symptoms of schizophrenia, OCD, anorexia/bulimia, and body dysmorphia. You see Nina’s obsessive-compulsive disorder in the scene where she is in her dressing room and very slowly and carefully sets her items down and line them up on her desk. Thomas tells Nina to her face that she has a tendency to obsessively look at a small detail and make sure it is perfect. She is a perfectionist, but it ruined her life. The looks in the mirror at the constant body checks, beginning of the movie her breakfast of a grapefruit half and half a fried egg is the most she is shown eating. Throwing up suggests bulimia but could just be nerves after an audition, but it is common for ballerinas to have eating disorders and to be in a negative calorie balance, but if it is self-inflicted it is dangerous. Her schizophrenic behaviors are one of the most well-known details in this film. Her rashes, her visions, hallucinations, it quite literally drives her mad. Nina’s mind plays tricks on her and she no longer strives for perfection in both roles because she loves the art. But to prove a point, that she is capable of perfection. There is no longer any passion in the fire that drives her. It is a point to prove.

Black Swan has many different interpretations, thats one of the many things I admire about this movie, that it is a work of art. True masterpieces are never easily defined, a good song, an interesting painting, videography, or a movie, everyone processes it in their own way. The ending of the film is the opening box day. Nina has grown up, she moved out, and stopped doing everything to please others but for herself. The drop of the white swan, the stabbing of herself who was portrayed by Lily, and the captivating dance of the black swan, all led to the confusing end of the fading white light in Nina. Dying after the show, on stage, reveling in the glory of adoration from the crowd and the feeling of success of being perfect, I argue that the bleeding out of Nina was a symbolic way of showing that Nina’s innocence had gone. I believe that this was the story of the film. To truly get what you want, you have to leave everything you hold close and venture into an unfamiliar land, and to be perfect& is to completely and utterly lose yourself. Just as Thomas said. He knew exactly how to get Nina to let go and achieve perfection. But was it for better or for worse?

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