The Sound of Black Swan
Darren Aronofsky’s (Requiem for a Dream, The Wrestler) “Black Swan” is a ballet thriller that follows Nina (Natalie Portman) as she is given the lead role in Swan Lake.
As Nina sinks deeper and deeper into her role as the Black Swan, her life starts to spin out of control.
Aronofsky’s long time sound collaborator, Craig Henighan, (sound designer, supervising sound editor, sound re-recording mixer) discusses the detailed approach for crafting the sound for this cinematic thriller.
MOVIE STUDIO
Fox Searchlight Pictures
SOUND STUDIO
Fox Studios & Sound One
DIRECTOR
Darren Aronofsky
ORIGINAL MUSIC
Clint Mansell
Synopsis
A New York City ballet company is producing Swan Lake, and director Thomas Leroy (Vincent Cassel) decides to replace prima ballerina Beth MacIntyre (Winona Ryder) and is in the process of casting for the lead role of the Swan Queen. Dancer Nina (Natalie Portman) lives with her overbearing mother and former ballerina Erica (Barbara Hershey), who puts pressure on her daughter to succeed where her career failed. Nina finds competition in new dancer Lily (Kunis) and struggles with the stress by apparently mutilating herself. Swan Lake requires a ballerina who can play the innocent White Swan, which fits Nina, and the sensual Black Swan, which fits Lily, but Nina gets the part after she violently rebuffs the sexual advances of Leroy. The dancers' rivalry changes into a bizarre friendship as the show's debut approaches, and Nina begins being overtaken by dark revenge fantasies against Lily and starts to lose her grip on reality.