Black Swan Analysis

Black Swan Analysis

Black Swan uses many of the codes and conventions of thriller to create a tense, suspenseful atmosphere. It also makes use of techniques separate from the thriller genre which in turn create a unique and individual opening suited to the film that follows. The opening as a whole is a choreographed sequence of classical ballet, keeping in line with the connotations of the word "swan" within the tile and the links it shares with Swan Lake, an extremely well renowned ballet.

Sound

In the beginning of the opening to Black Swan, the composition centers around strings and woodwind. The choice of an orchestral soundtrack immediately connotes to the audience an atmosphere of grandeur, due to the sophisticated nature of orchestras. The score is classical in style, with the music as a whole reflecting the ballet dancer on screen - being delicate and graceful, building to crescendo as the balletic movements become much more frantic and quick paced through the choreography. This gradual progression serves to carry illocutions about the dancer yet also, due to the slow tempo, creates an air of suspense - as the audience is only aware of the dancer and the music, the slow pace makes them wait, wondering as to what will occur next. As the male antagonist begins to enter the scene, percussion and brass instruments are introduced. Due to their deeper and more aggressive timbre, as well as the fact that the notes played are significantly lower in pitch, darkness and danger are connoted as well as implying a sense of male dominance, serving to portray the ballet dancer as innocent and fragile - this is also connoted through the dancer being a female and the connotations surrounding the female gender. The audience have now been left in a state of suspense, waiting for something to happen, with the knowledge something bad may happen, as is suggested by the lower and darker instruments and notes. The tempo slowly increases, with held notes being exploited so as to create tension and suspense. Here the sustained notes are symbolic of  the viewers wait for the note to end, and thusforth their expectation that something will happen. As the antagonist changes costume, the music immediately changes tempo, speeding up, juxtaposing deep brass notes against high and fast violins. Echoing against a minor key, this creates a maddening air, representative of the quick camera takes being used in an action scene. The audience would be left confused as to what is happening, and ultimately thrilled by the rapid change of tempo and the sudden increase in pace. Two diegetic sounds are used to bring the viewer into the scene - the sound of the female breathing, and also the sound of the antagonist's costume rustling. These diegetic sounds bring the audience into the scene as they sounds the audience would expect to hear if they were present. By bringing the audience into the scene, the danger appears more immediately to them and is more threatening, consequently thrilling them more so. When the antagonist leaves the scene a motif of triumph is played - the instrumentation full of brass with major notes set against the minor key - connoting victory.

Camera

The camera techniques in Black Swan serve to create many of the conventions of thriller, such as enigma, suspense and tension. The first shot is a wide, establishing shot, framing the ballerina and the spotlight that illuminates her. It not only establishes the mise en scene, but also highlights the themes in the opening - the dancer is cast in white and is barely illuminated, connoting a fragility further emphasised as she appear to be consumed by a sea of black space. The wide shot allows this juxtaposition of light and dark to be shown, causing anticipation from the audience as they are expecting something to emerge from the shadowed areas. The camera then moves into a close up tracking shot of the ballerina's feet allowing for a presentation of the swirling choreography as flits she in and out of the spotlight. This shot is used purposely so as to not show any of her defining features - i.e. her head or body - and thus creates an enigma, as the audience do not know who she is. Interestingly, the obscuring of a characters face is a common convention of thrillers however it is normally applied to the antagonist. Here the convention is abused so as to create a further uneasiness in the relationship between the audience and the character. 

The protagonist continues to dance in and out of the darkness, with the darkness being symbolic of danger in this instance. As the shot focusses on her feet, we may assume that she is ignorant to her surroundings. This creates suspense, which is further exaggerated through the shot being confined, creating a sense of claustrophobia (another example of the codes and conventions of some thrillers) with the viewer gaining a sense of the danger surrounding the protagonist due to the darkness surrounding her. The protagonist comes fully into view within the next shot. Now that she is visible to the audience, we see that she has stopped dancing, raising the question as to what will happen next? The camera then cuts to a hand-held shot - note how it frames the protagonist in a manner similar to that of the opening shot - surrounded by the dark. The hand-held nature of the shot immediately creates a feeling of tension for the audience as they are now viewing the scene from an onlooker’s point of view, which is conveyed through the unsteady nature of the hand-held shot. This in it’s own right carries illocutions of danger, whilst also suggesting that the antagonist may have a predatory nature. As this shot moves forward, bringing the male antagonist into view, the sense of danger is heightened as the man is framed by the darkness, an unknown figure, as the hand-held shot is maintained, becoming an over the shoulder shot. By framing the female in the spotlight and in the background, she is made to appear small and vulnerable, keeping inline with the typical expectation of a thriller that being that females are often portrayed as being weak and fragile. Yet still within the same take, the camera zooms in to a close up of the female, presenting her emotions, the close nature of the shot allowing the audience to feel her emotion and understand that she is in danger. 

During the opening sequence as a whole, the camera turns a full 360 degrees multiple times, in an attempt to disorientate the audience, making them feel confused whilst also mirroring the protagonist’s chaotic spins, demonstrating a disarray taking over the situation as the vulnerable protagonist spins out of control. This is playing with the viewer's perceptions, one of the key aspects of the thriller genre. As the scene ends, and the antagonist leaves the frame, the shot begins to pull away from the protagonist, leaving her growing smaller in the growing dark - creating an enigma for the audience, as they are left to wonder - what happened to her?

Mise en scene

The initial costume worn by the White Swan

The mise en scene in Black Swan is stylised and simple yet still manages to convey many of the codes and conventions of the thriller genre. The lighting is something I find very interesting as it connotes so much about the film and conveys some thriller conventions. By having one spotlight partially illuminate the opening, the viewer will be immediately aware of the obvious juxtaposition between dark and light, this everyday contrast carrying illocutions of good and evil, right and wrong, chaos and order even. The single spotlight gives the audience something to focus on, but also leaves the whole scene opaque, creating an enigma and also distancing the opening from a relatable reality. This in turn creates further enigma. Due to what can be described as a human trait, an innate fear of darkness, the opening already connotes thrills and fear by presenting a copious amount of darkness. As the opening continues, the light is revealed to be a spotlight, perhaps conveying to the audience that the dance is all part of some act - maybe a ritual even? - designed or viewed by someone. The characters costumes are the only other mise en scene within the scene aside from the lighting. The female protagonist’s dress and ballet shoes not only denote her as a ballerina, but also connote certain aspects of her character. The dress is made of translucent fabric, that seems fragile and soft, connoting that the female is vulnerable, and not a threat. The colour of her dress symbolises her purity, peace and goodness - this being demonstrated through a shared understanding of these connotations of the colour white. When her costume changes, it is more feathered, and develops into what is viewed as a more traditional tutu. This may connote her changing into a more elegant or powerful being, with feathers indicating connotations of freedom and flight, whilst the change in tutu perhaps displays an advanced progression through her ballet. On the whole, her costume and make-up all serve so as to lower her perceived age, thusforth emphasising her vulnerability as she is presented to be much more childlike. 

The male protagonist's first costume is mostly obscured by the camera and lighting, but is a dark shade of black, highlighting his masculinity. When the male’s costume develops however, the costume works to thrill the audience, inducing a fear due to the sudden change and the nightmarish appearance, which is made even more garish horns protruding from his head. This costume, similarly to the female protagonist, also has feathers (and wings), once again affording the antagonist a new status, as men with wings may be seen as powerful, almost supernatural beings. This enhances the sense of danger throughout the rest of the sequence as he is de-humanised, now looking more like a monster than a man.

Editing

The editing in Black Swan subtly augments the atmosphere and mood in a way that makes it distinctly a film of the thriller genre. The opening uses fades to and from black as transitions. This is something I would look to replicate in my thriller opening as these transitions softly bring the viewer in and out of the scene, slowly revealing the mise en scene and consequently creating suspense and enigma. The dark fade transition is also reminiscent of an eyelid opening or closing, and henceforth may connote that the viewer is entering a separate world or reality. The fade at the end of the sequence has a similar effect to the use of camera, it leaves the audience looking for what is happening. As they can no longer perceive the protagonist, they anticipate the next scene, putting them on the “edge of their seats”. This manipulation of the audience is one of the codes and conventions of thriller, as it means the audience can then be more easily shocked, or lead into a plot twist. The opening is composed of a few long takes, which create a suspenseful atmosphere. As there is no ellipsis whatsoever, the viewer is forced to watch everything on screen unfold, creating suspense and heightening the tension. These long takes also allow the movement on screen to be shown. The combination of long takes and the fade-ins causes the cut to the handheld shot to appear even more harsh and shocking, as it contrasts with the slow and suspenseful technical construction used up until that point. By cutting so rapidly, and so obviously, Black Swan jars the audience as they no longer know where they are, or who's perspective they are viewing from, thus connoting danger, and fear of the unknown, this disorientation placing the audience further into the scene themselves.