by Ilich Mejía
TFE is highly anticipating Darren Aronofsky's upcoming mother!. The film welcomes a reunion between Aronofsky and American cinematographer Matthew Libatique, shortly after they last collaborated on 2014's Noah and 2010's Black Swan. A lot of parrallels have already been drawn across the latter and mother!, including similarities between their cracked-doll posters and doesn't this bloody rug remind anyone of a certain mirror-sharded dress?
To show how desparetely we can't wait to see what new images Aronofsky and Libatique will sear into our psyches when mother! premieres, we're going to look back and pick our ten favorite shots from Black Swan. Libatique's gorgeous, dark cinematography earned him his first Academy Award nomination. Presumably, the Academy was as impressed as we were by his interpretation of the film's theme's of duality and control.
Let's dissect our favorite frames from the psychological drama after the jump...
ONE: Black Swan spreads her wings.
Natalie Portman may be Libatique's biggest accomplice in making these frames pulse with dread and dramatics. Her Nina is introduced as a stark source of shapely light, pure and oblivious to the forces that are about to cover her in fear.
TWO: Thomas casts two queens in one.
Enter Vincent Cassel's Thomas, the director that eventually casts Nina as both the White Swan and Black Swan. Libatique briefly introduces Thomas as two (a mirror to mirror technique that ABC's Scandal can't seem to stop overusing), hinting at the movie's many dichotomies to come.
THREE: Black-tie bathroom break.
Speaking of, the palette of Amy Westcott's costumes underscores the restraint and control (white) that inhibit the naturalistic freedom (black) of each of the characters. Nina finds herself imprisoned in whites and soft pinks as she struggles to portray her Black Swan and envies the dark effortlessness of Mila Kunis' Lily.
FOUR: Club trip.
Conveniently, things change lots for Nina after Lily lets her borrow a black lace top to put over her white cami. Nina embraces her freedom during this club drug trip, easily one of the film's hightlights. The cinematography and editing work like aces to loosen Nina up. When you watch the scene in full and carefully, you'll spot a basketfull of Easter eggs that reveal Nina pulling back several of her anchors. Pause constantly and you'll spot Nina's many faces of anxiety (pictured here), Thomas' flirting, and her mother's lurking.
FIVE: Lily glides.
Libatique uses motion as his best asset. He assertively captures the film's choreography to demonstrate the character's body language as a definition of their state. He does this especially well when shooting Kunis' Lily, whose silky movements refuse any formalities. His shooting of Nina's earlier motions, in contrast, highlight her anxities hovering from vertiginous angles and often switching to tight close ups. Here, Lily adapts the choreography to her liking and all eyes are on her.
SIX: Innocence is lost.
Because our little girl is growing up. So to speak.
SEVEN: Subway impatience.
The movie also plays with the underground as a metaphor for the unilluminated, immoral bubbles under the theater stage's seemingly perfect facade. Nina embraces the anxieties she represses at work and ignores at home most directly when she's alone underground or rehearsing in basements. Libatique shoots unpleasant scenes in subway trains and stations often. Nina first confronts her darker alter ego underground and can't seem to shake her off once seen.
EIGHT: Black Swan makes her mark.
Of course, once Nina embraces her instincts and loosens her grip on technique and precision, the darkest monster comes out. This shot is a gorgeous bookend to shot ONE, effectively destroying the White Swan's purity and stability.
NINE: Dreams come true.
Barbara Hershey's Mom Queen realizes her daughter has broken free from her passive aggression, for better or worse, in this close-up bloated with shaken fear. A major transition that should have earned Hershey a greater due.
TEN: Fade to white.
She felt it. She was perfect.
BONUS: Because can't take your prestige flick seriously if it doesn't feature our lead soaking in thought in a moody bathtub.
What frames could you not get our of your head after watching Black Swan? Share your favorites.