The document provides information about the 2010 Darren Aronofsky film Black Swan. It discusses the film's genre as drama and thriller. The story is about a ballerina, Nina, competing for the lead role in Swan Lake who starts to lose her grip on reality. The document examines some of the film's more mature content around self-harm, drug use, and sex and analyzes why the British Board of Film Classification rated the film 15 instead of 18.

2. Director: Darren Aronofsky
Genre: Drama, thriller
Status: UNCUT
Year: 2010

3. Content:
The story is about Nina - a dedicated ballerina who is quietly desperate for the part of
the Swan Queen in her company's up-coming re-imagining of Swan Lake. When she
bites the Artistic Director of the company in response to his advances, he sees in her the
fire that is necessary to also play the role of the Black Swan. But when Nina is befriended
by the company newcomer - and natural candidate for the Black Swan - Lilly, she
becomes involved in increasingly rebellious, sexual and aggressive behaviour. As
opening night approaches, Nina finds her inner Black Swan is out of control and her
grasp on reality increasingly fragile.

4. • In terms of the issue of the self-harm seen in the film, BBFC Guidelines at 15 note ‘Dangerous
behaviour (for example, ... self-harming) should not dwell on detail which could be copied’.
Such scenes in Black Swan were judged sufficiently aversive in nature and therefore unlikely
to encourage copying or promotion of such behaviour.
• The issue of drug misuse also occurs in Black Swan. In a bar, Nina is encouraged by Lily to
drink a spiked drink in order to relax. Nina takes the drink fully aware that it has been drugged.
It was judged that Black Swan, both in this scene and overall, did not promote or encourage
drug taking.
• The scene has a precautionary aspect and could act as a valuable warning to the 15 -17 year
old age group to not take risks, and to always be vigilant. It was also recognised that the 15 -17
age group would be increasingly familiar with the issue of spiked drinks following recent ad
campaigns and the subject's appearance in TV programmes such as Hollyoaks.
• The stand out classification issue in Black Swan is that of sex. There are several 'sex' scenes
in the film. BBFC Guidelines at 15 note that ‘Sexual activity may be portrayed without strong
detail’
• These sequences were considered to lack the ‘strong detail’ to take them beyond 15 and the
issue of masturbation would not be unfamiliar to most 15 year olds. However, one scene in
particular took Black Swan right to the 15 / 18 classification border: