Black Swan

Abstract

The New York Ballet Company, under the direction of Thomas Leroy (Vincent Cassel), is preparing to open the season with Tchaikovsky's iconic ballet Swan Lake. This production is particularly daring, as the lead must perform the antagonistic roles of the white swan and the black swan, making the selection of a new principal dancer challenging following the forced retirement of Beth Macintyre (Winona Ryder). As a result, Nina Sayers (Natalie Portman)—a brilliant young dancer with impeccable technique—becomes entirely consumed by dance in the months leading up to the premiere, eager to secure the lead role. However, the director's extravagant demands, imposed in a twisted manner, her rivalry with her new colleague Lily (Mila Kunis)—who lacks technical precision but has overwhelming passionate expressiveness—and the pressure exerted by her overprotective mother, former ballerina Erica Sayers (Barbara Hershey), lead Nina to a state of existential crisis, extreme nervousness, and mental exhaustion.