One of my former students came to see me the other day, and somehow the conversation turned to how much we both liked the movie Black Swan. Yet the reason for his enjoyment of the movie made me really uncomfortable, and at the time I couldn't put my finger on why. He said he liked the movie because it shows that perfection is possible (even though she had to die at the end).
If this is what perfection looks like, I don't want any part of it.
I think he's missing something fundamental about the movie. Yes, Nina achieved perfection at the end of the movie, but at a huge cost. She lost not only her innocence, but also her mother (and her relationships with all other people), her sanity, and of course her life (depending on how you interpret the movie--I don't think it's set in stone that she died at the end). Seriously, what that character experiences in this movie is not pleasant! In effect, she lost everything that made Nina Nina, all for the sake of being a perfect dancer. Some might say it wouldn't be worth it. And for someone to say that they got from the movie that perfection is possible--and a good thing--scares me a little.
