When I got home from holiday vacation two weeks ago, there were a pair of boxes waiting on me. Both contained handsome music boxes featuring “Black Swan”‘s Nina Sayers on the lid (and I got two because, as usual this time of year, I’m on multiple mailing lists). Once again, my swag deluge is your gain. Giveaway!
Let’s see, what to do? Hmm……I got it! Darren Aronofsky’s film is very much about duality and the internal struggle of the Yin and the Yang. So contradict yourself for me. Tell me why you think the film deserves to win Best Picture and why you think, perhaps, it doesn’t. Being a true fan is more about balanced consideration than blind acceptance, in my opinion, so give me that Yin and Yang in 50 words or less and the two most well-reasoned entries win.
They’ll make a nice jewelry case for the special schizophrenic someone in your life. Images of the prize after the jump.
[Photos: NBC, Kristopher Tapley]
Comments
68 responses to “CONTEST: Win a ‘Black Swan’ music box”
Black Swan is basically a snuff film disguised as an art house thriller, which is exactly why it should win. When was the last time a film like this had the following Black Swan has had? It should not win because it is a frightening , all-to-real therapy session for Aronofsky.
Black Swan should win Best Picture because, in the end, Natalie Portman – in a bravura performance for the ages – successfully transformed into the Black Swan during her flawless choreography as the ebony waterfowl. On the other hand, Portman’s literal “fall from grace” as the White Swan ruined the whole sequence.
The movie will win just like Nina is good embodying the white swan because it’s a pure filmmaking with the taste of Darren Aronofsky, while it will fail like Nina struggles to play black swan because it somehow trying so hard to be an arthouse thriller.
In this hellish daycare that I’m in
Ceaselessly my fears dance within
An armless man and irate swan
Appear to devour my soul and move on
Suddenly I hear, “Non, rien de rien”
Me: I love Black Swan because it was over-the-top, and absurd. It was so removed from reality, but felt so real that I was terrified but still moved.
My Grandmother: I hate Black Swan because it was over-the-top and absurd. It was so removed from reality that I couldn’t care about any of the characters, so it amounted to little more than shock value.
It ought to win because Nina’s white swan was excellent! It shouldn’t win because Nina’s black swan was… eh, not so good. White swan = fantastic. Black swan = disappointing. White swan? Lovely! Black swan? Eek!
It deserves it because it would be nice to have another horror-esque film win best picture, especially if Silence of the Lambs and Rebecca didn’t do it for you.
It shouldn’t win because, WE GET IT! Her black swan isn’t as good as her white swan.
Well, Darren Aronofsky is Nina. He could play safe by avoiding certain sequences that are almost ridiculous but he cannot stop trying, stressing Nina’s dedication but also his own. Oh come on, we feel like telling her, and we may feel the same way about his directing. The auteur’s touch.
Is that you, Zuckerberg? Have you come to steal my rightful place as Best Picture of the year? I explored the psychological madness of a sympathetic character with unfettered commitment that must simultaneously be respected and loved. Both compassion and passion are unmistakably on display. I strived for perfect emotional balance, and achieved it! Also… what’s that? You didn’t get it either? Okay, you win.
Black Swan deserves to win because it was braver than any other film (in the running) this year, and was actually successful, with the best below-the-line work of the year.
It doesn’t deserve to win because… the screenplay, the foundation of the film… isn’t as strong as it should be.
Oooooooooh, that was painful.
It should lose because a Portman-Kunis lesbian scene is cheap, women literally turning into swans is silly and the psychology was too externalized. It should win because somehow the lesbian scene wasn’t cheap, I didn’t scoff at the swan transformation and the complex psychology was not at all compromised.
(Did I mention I would slide into the ‘best boyfriend in history’ title if I won this?)
This study of the sexually and socially repressed ballerina – Nina – never patronises and will both repulse and compel viewers in equal measures. Aronofsky’s approach to editing can be migraine-inducing at times however, if you can bear the tension and visual cacophony, you won’t forget this sugary yet sinister world.
^^^^^
If it wasn’t obvious, I’m backing Black Swan for a win. Aronofsky has missed out before and I think a statuette is long overdue!
I love it! It’s intense, beautifully shot, has excellent performances. It’s not afraid to be weird, unique and go for broke. This type of artistic vision should be rewarded.
I hate it! It’s over-the-top, has a simplistic (maybe offensive) view of women – and Portman sprouting wings? Just too obvious.
The best Best Pictures are the ones that people truly love, the ones that leave their audience with a palpable and life-altering view of the world or other people. But behind the style and the lead performance is a generic, simple, and manipulative story.
I saw Black Swan again today (Happy Birthday to me!) and had thoughts about this:
Black Swan should win because, more than any other film this year, it has gotten people talking, breathlessly. Literally everyone I know has seen it and had STRONG opinions – and those are the kinds of pictures that endure over time and are worthy of the award.
It shouldn’t win because those opinions that weren’t ZOMGWOW! were REALLY BAD.
Black Swan deserves to win Best Picture because of the way Aronofsky used the clever images and deep breathing to make subtle links for the audience, enabling them to piece together the story themselves. While doing this, he still kept people wondering and questioning their personal theories about the film/characters.
It doesn’t deserve to win due to the fact that although it was done very cleverly, using different camera angles and background noises, it was – at times – a little unclear. Although this could have been Aronofsky’s intention, to make the audience think and compel them to percieve Nina and Lily in their own way, certain elements of the film were unneccesary and blatantly over the top (eg when both of Nina’s legs ‘break’ as she turns into the swan.).
The Black Swan is a great movie by Aronofsky, but the way people percieve it decides whether they like it or not – and perhaps that was his intention.