‘Black Swan’ sees Aronofsky’s distinctive style on display

If the Oscars are any indication, a lesbian sex scene, ballerina melodrama and brooding madness… If the Oscars are any indication, a lesbian sex scene, ballerina melodrama and brooding madness seem to be a potent combination.

The Academy released its list of nominees last Tuesday, and Darren Aronofsky’s most recent film, “Black Swan,” is in contention for five awards. Along with a best picture nod, Aronofsky is in the running for best director.

Aronofsky is no stranger to receiving awards — his most straightforward film, “The Wrestler,” received two Oscar nominations — but most of the director’s recognition has been from independent film festivals. After all, Aronofsky’s direction — an intriguing combination of French New Wave cinema and Kubrick-esque dark absurdity — is distinctive, and not always accessible.

Aronofsky’s choice of style is always the driving force behind the mood of the film, as he lets the style convey part of the story. His breakout 1998 film, “Pi,” is a gritty, maddening, black-and-white apocalypse that leaves the viewer simultaneously exhausted and re-evaluating existence. Similarly, the vivid color, strange camera angles and addictive, repetitive scenes in 2000’s “Requiem for a Dream” bring the audience down into the swirling, damaging vortex of drug abuse from which no one escapes intact.

How does “Black Swan” compare to its older siblings? The Oscar nod is a clue to the answer. “Black Swan” can be seen as more “mainstream” than several of Aronofsky’s other works.

For one thing, Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis are very well-known actresses who always draw a crowd both for their looks and their talent. Shaped by endless hours of ballet training, Portman’s convincing portrayal of an innocent dancer obsessed with perfection landed her a justified nomination for best actress. Kunis, for her part, was not nominated for best actress in a supporting role. Not very surprising: Although she did a fantastic job in “Black Swan,” the character was by no means a stretch for her. We’ve seen the rebellious, saucy Mila before in “The Book of Eli” and “Extract,” only this time, Kunis was in ballerina form.

Another distinction of “Black Swan” is its smooth chronology, starkly contrasting Aronofsky’s earlier works, which often feature jolting cuts and awkward timelines. The use of a more mainstream narrative did not detract from his style, however. He absorbed the classic ballet melodrama and repainted it beautifully on a cinematic scale. Alongside a sweeping score, “Black Swan” loosely mirrors the themes of the ballet “Swan Lake.” The main character’s descent into madness ends in the breathtaking climax of both the ballet and the movie. It’s overly dramatic, but effective and moving.

Aronofsky’s style in “Black Swan” is more refined and subtle than in his other works, but it is still intact. The film is enthralling in itself, but is better appreciated within the context of his entire body of art.