Stunning new posters for BLACK SWAN — Page 2

Michael, your comments make you come across as rather easily impressed by trendy nonsense, and unable to tell the difference between the boundary-pushing work of great artists like Coppola/Scorsese/Kubrick/Kurosawa and the tedious phony crap of bogus "visionaries" like Aronofsky.

Enjoy BLACK SWAN.

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I, too, am leery of Aronofsky.

I hated, hated, H-A-T-E-D REQUIEM FOR A DREAM with just about every ounce of my being. The fact that so many people whose opinions I respected loved it ("It's sooooo disturbing! Wait til you see the ass-to-scene! And the scene with the scab on the arm...shudder!") made me even angrier. Sorry, y'all but it's a ludicrous, high-toned exploitation flick doused in "Look Everyone! I went to film school!" pyrotechnics that's ultimately no deeper than LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT. The critically trashed SPUN--released around the same time--actually tackled the issue of drug addiction with much more brains and empathy, not that REQUIEM's fans seemed to want a realistic depiction of drug problems in the first place.

Yes, Ellen Burstyn gave a fine performance that even Aronofsky's editing couldn't destroy. She might have even won the Oscar if she didn't have to be saddled with such ridiculous indignities as pestering muffins, a man-eating refrigerator, and having to act opposite Jared Leto.

THE WRESTLER was much better and not as "look at me!" as his other work. But the script was...common, for lack of a better word. Still, not bad at all.

The huzzahs that are greeting BLACK SWAN seem REQUIEM-esque to me ("I don't care what it's about! It's just sooooo over the top!"), plus the occasional underground grumble of sexism and "ballet-sploitation" doesn't really encourage me. Still, my mind is open...its open.

Oh, and I think the comparisons to early Coppola and Scorcese are way off. Early in their careers they told simple stories with clarity and style. It seems if a director comes out nowadays with the same approach, they immediately get allotted to directing cable TV shows like BIG LOVE and WEEDS.

It seems to be the modern cinema malaise: If the filmmaker is not hitting you over the head with his/her style, it's not real filmmaking.

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Listen (and this isn't necessarily in defense of Aronofsky, Coppola or any film maker in particular) but I just come from the school of thought that says that art should be devisive and its a good thing for it to cause a strong immediate reaction (love or hate) to it. I've come to stop thinkiing in terms of 'like' or 'not like' when I see movies or plays. If ANYTHING makes me have a strong reaction to it, it was worth my time at the theatre -- Isn't that the definition of art, anyway?

Roscoe - my apologies again for the tone -- it wasn't meant to be cutsey or patronizing to say that if you are a traditionalist or easily upset by violence, this film probably isn't for you. I find nothing wrong with being a traditionalist. We all have different tastes.

Updated On: 10/15/10 at 03:16 PM

But how can we seperate the question 'what is the artist telling me' from our emotional response (reaction) to the product as a whole?

Gorgeous artwork.

I saw "Black Swan" at the Toronto International Film Festival. Didn't think it was as good as "The Wrestler," which I suprisingly enjoyed (I thought Mickey Rourke should have won Best Actor).

POSSIBLE SPOILERS: While I liked some of the wild theatricality (Natalie Portman's arms sprouting wings during her climactic ballet performance), this psychological thriller was at times ridiculously over-the top: like when someone you think is dead comes back to life to attack--this can sometimes work, such as Fatal Attraction. But there is a thin line between effective and shocking... and laughable. At times I was chuckling to myself (in a good way, though) at the roller coaster theatrics of the film. A good film, but not great in my books.

Natalie Portman is very convincing as a ballet dancer. Mila Kunis is great as her rival. I also liked Barbara Hershey as Portman's mother.

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Aronowsky always comes off to me as a slightly more intelligent version of that other flack-anointed "visionary" Zack Snyder.

Who on earth mistook Zack Snyder for a visionary? He directs visually stylish and morally empty comic book movies and has seemingly no actual artistic ambition beyond these slavish and cinematically turgid adaptations. And I say this as someone who loves comic book movies and does think they can have art in them if you do them right.

At least Aronofsky actually tries to say something beyond "look at me, isn't this violence flashy and stylish". Ugh.

Oh, and those posters are kick-ass.

Updated On: 10/19/10 at 02:34 AM

Plum, the ads for Snyder's appalling film of WATCHMENT referred to "Visionary Director Zack Snyder." Hence my use of the phrase "flack-anointed visionary."

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It was marketing copy, of course. Shall I change it to "publicity-anointed"?

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I think Warner Bros. did promote him as the 'Visionary Director of 300' for Watchmen and recently they tabbed Snyder as director of the new Superman movie, despite Watchmen barely recouping and being a fascinating failure (not implying Snyder made it fascinating, nothing felt fleshed out except possibly Jackie Earle Haley and Jeffrey Dean Morgan in their roles). WB clearly thinks highly of him even if it means turning Superman into nothing but sexytime with Lois Lane, disembodying people, and slo-mo fight scenes with some rigid acting lacking any wit or wink and nod.

But back to Black Swan.

I love the 3rd & 4th one (I can see the Swan), but the first two (espeically the 2nd one) look like the cover of a 70s paperback novel.

Awesome posters. I think the "squeamish" bit is about how the movie has certain David Cronenberg-ian qualities. Think "The Fly."

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Still no word on if these posters are actually going to be available for purchase, but they are now available in large format to download on the film's website.

Black Swan Website

Updated On: 11/11/10 at 04:44 PM