La Vida

Fiamma Sierra
PSY2012
Dr. Angela Ramirez
Movie Assignment: Black Swan
The movie “Black Swan” is about a ballerina named Nina. Being heavily controlled by her mom, she had always had striven to beperfect. Nina was selected to replace the lead ballerina, Beth, in the production Swan Lake. The production required the lead ballerina to depict two roles: The White Swan and The Black Swan. Thisbrought even more pressure to her because the director, Thomas Leroy, believed that she was perfect portraying the White Swan, who is delicate and innocent, but she had to work on being sensual and darkto play the Black Swan. He even sexually molested her multiple times so that she felt sensual. As if this wasn’t enough pressure, Nina had more competition: a new dancer impressed Leroy. The newdancer named Lily was perfect to play the Black Swan because her personality fit the role entirely. Nina and Lily built a strange relationship which allowed Nina to get in touch with her dark side. Nina’stransformation went all wrong because she started to experience multiple hallucinations that tore her life apart.
Nina lives in a New York apartment with her mom, Erica. Like her daughter, as ayoung girl Erica was a ballerina. She had to give up her dreams in order to take care of Nina. This must have initiated an involuntary frustration towards Nina because she turned out to be an overlycontrolling mother. She controls every aspect of Nina’s life. An example is how every nigh Erica sits beside her daughter and plays the music box so that the ballerina dances. The environment is a verystrict and unhealthy one. Because of this Nina is very easy to control. Her vulnerable vibe is very easy to perceive, and people take advantage of that. Everyone wants her to be perfect which makes herthink perfection is the only thing to live for. Thomas, the director, needs her to let go and get in touch with her dark side so that she can become a Black Swan. His job is to get her to do so;...