Nina is a ballerina in a New York City ballet company. Her life, like most in her profession, is completely consumed with dance. She lives with her mother Erica, a former ballerina who exerts a suffocating control over her. When artistic director Thomas Leroy decides to replace prima ballerina Beth MacIntyre for the opening production of their new season, Swan Lake, Nina is his first choice. But Nina has competition: new dancer Lily, who impresses Leroy as well. Swan Lake requires a dancer who can play both the White Swan with innocence and grace, and the Black Swan, who represents guile and sensuality. Nina fits the White Swan role perfectly but Lily is the personification of the Black Swan. As the two young dancers expand their rivalry into a twisted friendship, Nina begins to get more in touch with her dark side - a recklessness that threatens to destroy her.
MPAA rating: Rated R for strong sexual content, disturbing violent images, language and some drug use; Canadian Home Video Rating: 14A.|||adult
Fox Searchlight Pictures presents ; in association with Cross Creek Pictures ; a Prøtøzøa and Phoenix Pictures production ; directed by Darren Aronofsky ; screenplay by Mark Heyman and Andrés Heinz and John McLaughlin ; story by Andrés Heinz ; produced by Mike Medavoy, Arnold W. Messer, Brian Oliver, Scott Franklin.
Originally produced as an American motion picture in 2010.
Special features: Black Swan: Metamorphosis [featurette] (49 min.); Sneak peeks (7 min.).
Natalie Portman, Vincent Cassel, Mila Kunis, Barbara Hershey, Winona Ryder.
DVD; region 1; NTSC; 5.1 Dolby digital surround, 2.0 Dolby surround; widescreen (2.40:1) presentation.
In English, dubbed Spanish, or dubbed French with optional subtitles in English SDH or Spanish; closed-captioned.
Director of photography, Matthew Libatique ; editor, Andrew Weisblum ; original score, Clint Mansell ; visual effects supervisor, Dan Schrecker ; ballet choreography, Benjamin Millepied ; "Swan Lake" composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.
Golden Globe Awards, 2011: Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama.
Academy Awards, 2011: Best actress.
British Academy of Film and Television Arts, 2011: Film awards, Best actress in a lead role (Portman).
Australian Film Institute, 2011: Movie of the Year.
