Black swan opening analysis

1. Media AS Phoebe Gibson
Black Swan Opening Analysis
At the very opening of the movie, The ‘Swan Lake Introduction’ music is heard
accompanied by no on screen action; Just a black screen. Then fade in text in
white reads the production companies of the film. The traditional music from the
famous ballet immediately allows the audience to make the connection that
ballet is a key theme. It also suggests that the particular ballet of Swan Lake is a
potential narrative enigma. Following this is the title ‘Black Swan’, which fades in,
in a white font against the black background. The colours black and white are
often used in Thrillers as they often represent good and bad, innocent and guilty
and pure and sinful. As well as this, the immediate contrasting colours make the
text stand out highlighting important information.
As the title fades in, the non-diegetic sound of the wind whistling is heard along
with eerie drones. This could have connotations with Thrillers as this creates a
cold and tense tone that can come across quite negatively, foreshadowing
negative events in the film. This is also accompanied by the very quite and subtle
sound of a woman laughing. Laughter is usually associated with comedy or
positive atmosphere. However, this woman’s lighter coupled with the eerie
whistles, almost creates a fairly spiteful tone completely contrasting with the
idea of comedy and instead creating an uncomfortable suspense that maybe a
narrative enigma. The idea of the text fading in and out creates a light and
graceful image, perhaps mirroring the gracefulness of a ballet dancer.
From the left a white spotlight shines to the centre, revealing the back of a
ballerina stood in a ballet position. She is stood in the centre attracting the
audiences’ main focus and possibly communicating significance to this character.
She is dressed in a white ballet dress. The white dress and light could represent
purity or innocents. However the light only half lights the woman casting
shadows of black over her perhaps illustrating a dark side to this character. This
idea of a character with two polar opposite personalities works well with a
psychological thriller. The long shot of her makes her fairly small, being far away
from the camera and her face cannot be seen. This creates an element of mystery
to the character and sets up the narrative enigma of: who is she?
It then cuts to a close up of her feet in ballet shoes which dances around the
space followed by a dolly shot. Despite the fact that the dancer is moving around
at great pace, the camera circles her feet in an opposite direction. This doesn’t
abide by the 180° rule and disorientates the audience. This might foreshadow
the psychological disorientation of the character during the films narrative.
During this section, the music gradually crescendos in volume pace and pitch.
This creates a more dramatic tension and constructs anticipation that something
is going to happen. This intense anticipation is something created in the genre of
thrillers.
The dancers feet then makes their way to the centre of the spotlight and she sits
down revealing her face for the first time. The idea that she is now sat
immediately in the white light and sat in a white dress may suggest that the
character is pure and innocent as her facial expression in gently smiling. She also
stands out greatly in the white light and dress against the remaining black
background making her the main focus, emphasising her significance. The music

2. Media AS Phoebe Gibson
vastly decreases in volume and pitch and gradually slows in pace. The music is
now very slow and low in pitch, which is then accompanied by an eerie tone
similar to the very start. This could communicate danger and an element of
anticipation, as now she is sat in the white light, she could be considered quite
vulnerable.
It then cuts to a subject’s point of view shot of something behind the woman,
looking at the back of her. This shot, moves closer to the dancer, still on the floor,
which she cannot see as she is facing away from this direction. The positioning of
the dancer is still relatively centre and still lit in white against the black still
making her the audience main focus. Her back is turned to whatever it is moving
towards her illustrating her vulnerability to it. The jagged effect of the hand held
motion creates a negative image and the high angle looks down on her
suggesting that it is superior or more powerful than her, making her look weaker
and intensifies the idea of danger.
Then gradually from the right, in the black, a figure emerges, walking towards
the girl and she rises. Even though she doesn’t see him coming, he gets up almost
as if she senses his presence, communicating that his authority and power is so
intense that it can be sensed on immediate arrival. As he moves behind her, she
turns to the camera as if to face away from him and the audience see a close up of
her facial expression. She appears quite frightened implying that this new
character introduced, is one to be feared and possibly dangerous.
This new character creates a negative but powerful impression for many
reasons. Firstly, juxtaposing the ballet dancer, he is dressed in all black making
him stand out less than her enough to still communicate that she is more
significant, but also possibly allowing him to blend into the background enough
to create an element of mystery about him. Being dressed in black may also
represent evil next to her white purity. His costume dramatically changes from
minimalistic black clothes to a large black feathers costume with horns that
communicate a monster like image communicating danger. Secondly, he is
mostly positioned behind her suggesting how he is dangerous and she is trying
to avoid him however at the same time stands he stand over her making the
difference in power and authority clear. The idea of authority and power are
emphasised when his movements manipulate hers suggesting how he has
control over her that she can’t escape. Her movements often reach out for the
white light perhaps suggesting that how now she is manipulated by evil; she is
attempting to escape to her once innocent self.
The minimal editing and the way the camera often follows the action rather than
just cutting to the different shot and angles creates a less rushed scene and
doesn’t distract form that fast pace and grand movements done by the dancers.
This means that there aren’t to many elements used to communicate the danger
of the scene and allows the movements, facial expression and music to effectively
illustrate this instead of the editing.