Monday, January 17, 2011
Black Swan: Interview with Darren Aronofsky
Clothes on Film: "Director Darren Aronofsky came to prominence with 1998’s Pi, a bold and imaginative take on the body shock genre. His latest film Black Swan harks back to that work; the tale of a young ballerina undergoing psychological transformation, her identity thrown into question on the most visceral of levels.
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9 comments:
Why when we talk to directors do we feel the need to talk about making movies about comic books? Why does there need to be movies made about comic books? In part I wonder if we are starting to want to blur genres more and more. Directors like Christopher Nolan have made great films and their cinema talent applied to costume characters has worked well. Black Swan does that to an extent. Takes an old Romantic horror story motif, the Doppelganger, and uses film to tell the story. What works so well about the film is the director's ability to combine two generes; horror and beauty, while using two mediums, film and ballet.
I find what he said about method acting interesting. I used to act and always found the method to be somewhat strange. As he pointed out, it’s great for a lot of stage actors, but I always found that spending so much energy to get into character every rehearsal (I know a lot of actors don’t fully get into character every rehearsal, but I always felt like I should) was a waste of time and distracted from other actors. When you translate that to film and you don’t have to remain in character for multiple hours, how inconvenient does it become to have to get back into character and reanalyze the situation with each take?
i admire Aronofsky's take on story telling and his commitment to the projects he takes on. I agree with Matt that the film blended beauty and horror quite well. When Natalie danced as the black swan at the end it was remarkable. She herself looked beautiful, but when you looked at her and the way she moved, it was kind of terrifying to she her transform.
It's very interesting to see such a well-known director talk about how important it is for him to take risks. I find it very true that without the risks, there is no originality in art, and his risks truly made Black Swan a one-of-a-kind experience. I also found it so interesting that he discussed that he is simply a story teller, not necessarily committing to one type of medium. So often people are painters, writers, directors, etc., but Aronofsky talks about wanting to break beyond these barriers. I was particularly pleased to see him so open about his opinions, such as the movies he disliked and the method of acting he was not fond of. It is so refreshing to hear someone famous talk so uncensored about their own opinions. I have a lot of respect for Aronofsky as an artist.
Whether or not you agree with Aronofsky's methods about how he uses his actors, you cannot argue with the success. From Ellen Burstyn to Mickey Rourke to Natalie Portman, actors in his films have given some of the best screen performances of the last decade, and they all feel extremely real. I think this is why these smaller films shine better than a lot of blockbusters: the use of this type of process. I, for one, have huge hopes for Aronofsky's attempt to reboot the Wolverine franchise. Applying this serious directing style to a great piece of source material (the story of Wolverine in Japan) should be very successful
I agree with Aronofsky in saying that it's just "make believe". At the end of the day whether you love it or not, you are working on a project. You can find personal grace in working on something, but at the end of the day the meaning and emotion in the film is meant for the audience. As creators our one job is to tell the story. I'm glad that Aronofsky comments on the separation between a project and the real world. Method acting may help an actor, but when work is done for the day an actor should be able to be themselves. Being someone else may help you as an artist, but certainly not as a person.
I agree that taking risks can be what makes a piece of art worthwhile and original, but I'm especially interested in how Aronofsky is unafraid to get involved with so many mediums. From comic books to ballets he decided what would be the most effective way to tell his story. And in addition to not being afraid to tackle a new medium he talked about if you're initial idea can't work, just figure out another way to get your story told, take another risk.
I find it very interesting how a directors view can shape a film , the characters and the outcome of the entire project. arronofsky is a very skilled director with alot of talent and a visual eye which really captures the viewers imagination.
When thinking about Aronofsky's comment about how much easier it is to create a movie based off a comic, I begin to feel that perhaps they are trying to cut out the job of the designer altogether. Although it's not as extreme as I make it sound, I still feel that designers cannot exercise as much creative freedom when working off this medium; the pictures are already drawn for you, all you are doing is making them three dimensional. I personally feel that half of the enjoyment of design is collaborating with the director and the artistic team to create a unique environment, not translating one from the pages of a comic. Though one cant deny that making a film directly from a comic can help make it successful, as the popularity of the comic has already been tested among the American demographic, I do feel many of such films are of lesser artistic value.
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