'The Black Swan' (2010) Opening Sequence

• The connotations of the colour black are very powerful and it is often associated with evil/bad. The connotations of white are the complete apposite as it is often associated with purity and good. Although the title of the film is simple the juxtaposition is very symbolic. It represents the two sides to the protagonist: good and evil. The actual title itself is in white to highlight that the protagonist herself is not evil, she is in fact good and pure. The background is black to represent that she is being taken over by something evil, she is becoming more and more like Odile (The Black Swan) and slowly looses herself. 



• There is a pan shot following the subject's feet. This choice of shot puts emphasis on her graceful movements. It introduces the theme of ballet to the audience and shows clearly that the protagonist is a ballet dancer, in fact a very good one. Throughout this whole scene long takes are used to demonstrate the fluent movements of ballet. It also in the beginning makes the audience feel peaceful and calm. However when the man comes in and changes Nina into a swan, the long takes make the audience feel uncomfortable because they are forced to watch her in fear and distress.

• In this shot high key lighting is used and the protagonist is shielding herself from it. It foreshadows her transition from perfect to reckless in the film but in a contrasting way as she is actually very reluctant to the transition and it drives her insane. Whereas in this shot she doesn't want the light on her which shows that she is reluctant to stay good. However her facial expression supports the idea that she wants to stay as a utopian and this change is extremely troubling for her. It makes the audience feel bad for her because they can see that she is distressed however they are passive and cannot do anything about it, they do not even know who she is and why this is happening to her.

In an over the shoulder shot, the audience can see that a man dressed in all black appears to be making his way towards Nina. It is clear straight away that the man is dystopian through his black costume which represents evil and power. This particular choice of shot makes the audience almost feel as if they are a part of the scene, perhaps a member of an audience watching the ballet dancer's performance of Swan Lake. Once the man reaches Nina, the camera changes to a medium shot of both the characters dancing with each other. This shot supports Laura Mulvey's feminist theory that, one role women are represented as is the 'virgin'. Nina is being held by the man and following his movements, showing that she is subservient to him. Supporting the dominant ideology of gender roles: men are more powerful and women live in their shadow.

• This is the first time the audience sees the protagonist. Being dressed head to toe in white makes the suggestion that she is utopian because of the connotations of white being a pure, good and graceful colour. Having nobody else in the long shot suggests that she is isolated and lonely, which you later find out in the film as she is controlled by her ballet obsessed mother. It also represents her as vulnerable because she is surrounded by darkness (evil) and she is the only bit of light (good), suggesting that the evil will take over the good, foreshadowing her transition from being pure and innocent to reckless. This first shot is very similar to the title as the colours are identical, again the white being the protagonist who later becomes the black swan and she is surrounded by the darkness that is her mind.