Darren Aronofsky exposed the unseen side of the art of ballet in the movie, "Black Swan." The psychological thriller demonstrates the competitive and demanding atmosphere that each dancer in the ballet world is forced to endure in order to succeed. The movie unfolds around an adaptation of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's renowned production Swan Lake, where Nina Sayers, a talented and devoted, but mentally unstable dancer, guides the audience through the story from her point of view. Due to her condition, Nina is constantly having hallucinations, which makes it difficult for the viewer to distinguish between reality and fiction. As she is the main character, it is important to discuss her relationship with her mother, director, and cast of Swan Lake.
Nina's outstanding dancing skills and commitment helped her obtain the role of Swan Queen, where she impersonates two ballet characters, the black and white swans. Her innocent, controlling, and perfectionist personality makes her a natural for the role as White Swan. However, her real challenge is to portray the mysterious and seductive Black Swan. Through the film, she undergoes a radical transformation in order to become her opposite self. Part of Nina's immature personality comes from her mother, Erica, who refuses to let her grow up. Erica exercises complete control over Nina's life, which limits her from any social encounters. It is also mentioned in the movie that Erica quit her ballet career in order to raise Nina, which answers the question of why she is so controlling. She has become obsessed with her daughter and is constantly trying to fulfill her dreams through Nina's career. Nonetheless, it cannot be determined how far Erica's obsession has gone since the audience is only aware of Nina's perception of the events. .
Another important character in the film is the ballet director Thomas Leroy. From the beginning of the movie, it can be see that Leroy establishes a sexual relationship with the ballet dancers staring in the leading roles.
