Ballet Cliché

I finally got around to catching Darren Aronofsky's film Black Swan at the flicks this past weekend. The movie falls in line with the long tradition of hard-bitten films about ballerinas starting with the 1948 classic The Red Shoes.

In Aronofsky's film, which is entertaining to watch at times, cliches of the genre run amok, from bleeding toes to overpowering choreographers equipped with European accents and big libidos. Dancing oneself to death is beyond cliche at this point. 

Most ballet movies are scary when you think about it. I don't think Aronofsky is doing anything new or unusual with his psychological thriller of an approach to classical dance.

I only wish the film had moved me more, though Natalie Portman acquits herself well in a demanding role.