Black Swan

Odette, Swan Lake

It seems almost cheating to set a film to the music of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake, but Black Swan certainly did the score justice.

Darren Aronofsky has previously shown his talent for sensitive character studies of those who are caught in a downward spiral descending into madness and despair; 

In Black Swan he has really perfected this technique with his portrayal of Nina, a painfully perfect ballet dancer who struggles to "lose herself" in order to embody both the Odette and Odile of Swan Lake, and finds her mental stability rapidly deteriorating in the process.

Black Swan is a tragic and sometimes terrifying look into a mind damaged beyond repair, as the character comes undone for good, reminiscent of Aronofsky's The Wrestler or Requiem for a Dream.

The Film stays almost exactly in line with original tale of Swan Lake, and theme of sacrificing everything for a moment of freedom.

Although the story is of course fraught with metaphors, they are used carefully and subtly (for the most part) in such a way that what is really going on is not entirely obvious until the very end. The suspense and tension in the film build with every scene, some of them excruciating to watch,  ending with an unforgettable climax.

Go see it while it's still in theaters, if for no other reason, to hear Tchaikovsky in surround sound! ^_^