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Thursday, May 17, 2012

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Black Swan, a Thriller in Style and Substance

Black Swan Trailer (video provided by YouTube)

Natalie Portman is garnering Oscar nomination buzz for her riveting performance in "Black Swan," opening today. To authenticate her portrayal of Nina, a prima ballerina consumed by the intensely competitive world of ballet in New York City, Portman prepared with demanding physical training and dance instruction for six months prior to shooting. As a result the actress, who appears in practically every scene of the movie, performed about 90 percent of the dance we see on film herself, using a body double only for extremely difficult maneuvers.

In the movie, Nina is struggling both physically and mentally to master the nuances of the emotionally complex and contrasting lead roles of the classic ballet, "Swan Lake"—the innocent, guileless White Swan and the darkly sensuous Black Swan. Complicating matters for Nina is the arrival of Lily, played by Mila Kunis, a stirring but reckless rival ballerina, who is new to the company and fiercely competitive.

Black Swan, At Once Dark and Lovely

  • Natalie Portman in "Black Swan"

    Photo Credit: Niko Tavernise

  • Natalie Portman and Vincent Cassel

    Photo Credit: Niko Tavernise

  • Mila Kunis and Natalie Portman

    Photo Credit: Niko Tavernise

  • Natalie Portman

    Photo Credit: Niko Tavernise

  • Vincent Cassel and Director Darren Aronofsy on the set of "Black Swan"

    Photo Credit: Niko Tavernise

  • Mila Kunis and Natalie Portman

    Photo Credit: Niko Tavernise

  • Darren Aronofsky and Vincent Cassel on the set of "Black Swan"

    Photo Credit: Niko Tavernise

  • Natalie Portman and Winona Ryder

    Photo Credit: Niko Tavernise

  • Natalie Portman

    Photo Credit: Niko Tavernise

  • Natalie Portman

    Photo Credit: Niko Tavernise

The film unfolds much like a classic psychological thriller in the vein of Hitchcock or Polanski—highly stylized and dense with macabre, supernatural undertones. Director Darren Aronofsky turned to sisters Laura and Kate Mulleavy, the designers behind Rodarte, to create over 40 looks for the film. Although "Black Swan" is Rodarte’s first foray in costuming for film, the Mulleavy sisters are a natural fit for a dramatic thriller, particularly one focused on performance. Their ready-to-wear designs combine ethereal and edgy elements with a theatrical, often gothic vibe.

Luisa Beccaria, Chanel, Chloe

Luisa Beccaria (Photo by Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images); Chanel (Photo by Chris Moore/Catwalking/Getty Images); Chloe (Photo by Karl Prouse/Catwalking/Getty Images)

While we love the drama of the ballet performance costumes—extreme silhouettes with encrusted finishes, feathers and bejeweled head pieces—we’re equally drawn to the classic ballet style of the film, including the cashmere wrap sweaters, tights and scarves, and especially the soft palette of nude, gray, pink, black and white. The Spring 2011 runways were brimming with ballet inspired looks, many finished with hair pulled into ballerina buns: lush, full skirts; fitted and stocking tops; body suits; soft, closed-toe flats; layered tulle and sheer chiffon.

Roll over items for details
NEW Rodarte for Target Dress
(buy it now price, $30)
NEW Pale Pink Cashmere Silk Pashmina
(buy it now price, $15.99)
NEW Coach Black Feather Clutch
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NEW J. Crew Cap Toe Ballet Flats
(buy it now price, $79)
NEW Lanvin Nude Tulle Tutu Dress
(buy it now price, $299.99)
NEW Feather Hair Clip
(buy it now price, $17.22)
NEW Gap Cashmere Cardigan
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NEW BCBG Beaded Tulle Dress
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Black Swan, a Thriller in Style and Substance

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c266ee9e-4714-47ea-b31a-21e8d5d76aa6 Wed, 8 Dec 2010 23:17:17 PST Wed, 8 Dec 2010 23:17:17 PST
Sherry
comment-post

It's so disappointing to me that no credit is given to the actual Costume Designer of this film. The Rodarte things are no doubt beautiful, BUT the real work of character development (with the actors & director), research, selection, altering/revamping of clothing and storytelling is done by the Costume Designer. In this case, Amy Westcott, who did tons of research beforehand and was present during the arduous filming process. I'm sure she guided the choices of Rodarte items as well, and they probably had only to supply the clothing and not do much else. It may have already existed in their line, I don't know. They do fashion, which is used by a designer to create Costume Design. I realize that for the general public, using a hot name designer can help generate publicity and interest, but it seems to me that since the heavy lifting is done by the Costume Designer and his or her team, credit should be given where credit is due. There is an interesting interview with Amy Westcott at Dance Track Magazine http://www.dancetrackmagazine.com/?p=2492

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