I have been hankering to watch the film Black Swan for a while. No, not necessarily because it stars Mila Kunis, but because it received great reviews from everyone I know that has seen it. Christmas is that time of year where you actually get a chance to sit down and catch up on things like the years films etc that you missed so what better time to put two and two together.
Interestingly, the plot focuses around Natalie Portman’s character getting the lead role of the Swan Queen in Swan Lake and how it affects her. I never thought this blog would feature two learnings about ballet but here we are, I never knew the plot of Swan Lake, despite its fame and prominenece in pop culture, but the film laid it out pretty well for me. Below is taken from a particularly snappy summary at this link.
While hunting, Prince Siegfried sees an amazing swan. As he takes aim to shoot, the swan turns into a beautiful woman. The woman, Odette, tells the prince that she is a princess who has come under the spell of an evil sorcerer. During the day she must be a swan and swim in a lake of tears. At night she is allowed to be a human again. The spell can only be broken if a a virgin prince swears eternal fidelity to her. She tells Prince Siegfried, who happens to be a virgin prince, that if he refuses her she must remain a swan forever.
Prince Siegfried falls madly in love with Odette. However, through a spell by the evil sorcerer, he accidentally proposes to another woman at a party, believing that the woman is really Odette. Princess Odette feels doomed. She threatens to kill herself and throws herself into the lake. The Prince feels terribly sorry and throws himself into the lake with her. In an incredibly touching moment, the two are transformed into lovers in the afterlife.
If I could offer one piece of advice now that I’ve seen the film and know the plot of the ballet – don’t piss off the Black Swan.
DC
Today I Learnt..... 