Understanding the Pyschology behind the film Black Swan - Research Paper Example

? Understanding the Psychology Behind the Black Swan: Jungian Analysis Introduction While psychological thrillers have long been a part of cinematic production, Darren Aronofsky’s ‘Black Swan’ expands this genre through a variety of complex narrative and character devices. The film explores the experience of Nina Sayers as she prepares for a ballet performance of Swan Lake. Throughout Nina’s experience in the film, she goes from a relative position of sanity to psychosis, the implications of which are that Nina is subject to complex psychological impulses. While the narrative experience, replete with dream imagery and fantastical montage elements, is a prominent part of the narrative, undoubtedly Aronofsky’s psychological explorations constitute the backbone of the film’s artistry. Although myriad arrays of psychological theories are applicable to Nina’s experience, perhaps the most pervasive are Jungian approaches to psychoanalysis. Implementing Jungian approaches to psychology as an analytical lens, this essay examines the psychology behind the film ‘Black Swan’. Analysis In examining the ‘Black Swan’ through the Jungian psychoanalytic lens, the most pervasive theoretical notion is that of the ‘shadow’. Jung was highly interested in the personality in terms of development. Like Freud, Jung believed that human development is oftentimes subjected to repressive forces wherein a individual denies aspects of himself or herself, which later emerge in latent forms. For Jung the notion of the shadow was the embodiment of this repression. Jung argued that the shadow occurred because of denied aspects of the self and that “the shadow itself was the result of a narrow identification with the persona—the social mask, at the expense of the unattended aspects of the self“ (Bennett, p. 117). When this psychological theory of development is considered in terms of Nina Sayers in the ‘Black Swan’ it’s clear that this notion is implemented as the film’s pervading psychological infrastructure. While there are a variety of scenes wherein one witnesses the emergence of Jung’s shadow, perhaps the scene that is most central to this psychological understanding is the climactic concluding performance. This scene begins as Nina finds herself locked inside her room, as her mother has removed the door handle. She rushes to the auditorium and encounters Lilly who has already dressed to play Nina’s part in the ballet that night. While Lilly is ostensibly Nina’s understudy and a regularly functioning part of the narrative, in this scene she also comes to represent Nina’s repressed id identity – her shadow. As the scene progresses it function on two levels: the literal narrative and the unconscious psychological level. While Nina is outwardly preparing for her performance where she will become the black swan, she is also undergoing a psychological transformation. Throughout the film she has fought this impulse through repression, yet in this concluding sequence she works to encounter her complete self. Tomas notes, “The only person stopping you is yourself”. While he is referring to Nina’s performance, he could just as easily be referring to her repressed identity – her shadow. A number of theorists have examined this notion of the black swan as the shadow in this final scene. Perhaps the most convincing perspectives notes: it comes to the point that Nina dramatically fights with herself and is flooded by her own Shadow. When she stabbed herself – represented by Lilly – and said “It’s my turn”, that means it is the Shadow's turn. When she surrendered to her own Shadow, the Black Swan, she also has to accept the death of her one-sided Persona, the White Swan. There was no hope for her old meaning of “perfection” anymore, but there is a chance to be psychically transformed in the process of Individuation (‘Venus’). Here the complex and ambiguous nature of Nina stabbing Lilly is unraveled. During a part of the final sequence, Nina is dropped on-stage. As she returns to her dressing room Lilly is waiting for her and in a mystical tone turns to Nina and offers to dance the black swan for her. As is argued above, Lilly is Nina’s shadow – the representation of her id impulse. Recognizing that her id impulse has emerged Nina’s superego has a violent repressive reaction and stabs Lilly, which is later revealed to be Nina. The film is ambiguous in these regards. In one sense Lilly functions as the emergence of Nina’s id desires to which further repression through murdering them is the only option. Still, in another sense, as argued above, Nina’s murdering of Lilly (her shadow) is actually a healthy process of Nina’s individuation. That is, through killing Lilly Nina has completed a stage in her psychic development and individuated her id and superego into a functional and whole ego. Ultimately, as the film reveals that Nina has stabbed herself, it appears that to an extent Nina has undergone such profound repression and denial that she has entered psychosis. While the final scene is the most central to understanding the psychology of the Black Swan, unraveling this scene opens the door for the myriad of elements that led up to Nina’s climactic individuation. From the beginning elements of the film one witnesses that Nina’s repression isn’t simply rooted in herself, but is also reflected in her surrounding environment. Despite being in her 20s Nina continues to live with her mother who prepares her breakfast and cares for her as if she was a child. Consider the opening scene where Nina’s mother serves her a grapefruit; Nina responds mimicking a child, “ohh how pretty”. The grapefruit, long used as a health food, is symbol of Nina’s repressive life of denial; this is coupled with Nina’s childlike response of her mother serving her the fruit. As one witnesses Nina’s room her repressive state is further established. In these regards, it’s noted that the “decor of Nina’s room is juvenile, in pastel shades, with a herd of stuffed animals on her bed; the mother treats her as if she were, in fact, a young child.  The atmosphere feels asexual and repressive” (Burgo). To an extent Nina’s mother even comes to represent her overbearing superego, as when Nina finally is to go to her performance and realize her black swan repressed desire, her mother attempts to lock her inside. Ultimately, situating Nina in this home environment plays into the psychological position of her as struggled to encounter her own repressed desires. As the film advances, it becomes clear that Nina’s entire existence is structured around self-denial as a means of achieving success in the ballet world. Great time is spent on examining the nature of Nina’s practice and preparation. One montage scene doesn’t even contain shots of faces, but instead is entirely composed of Nina lacing her shoes and feet and then performing seemingly painful dance maneuvers wherein she presses into her toes. This montage functions as developing Nina’s psychological state of denial and repression and further advances the notion of self-pain; one witnesses this theme later echoed in the concluding scene where Nina stabs herself. This theme of self-inflicted pain also occurs as Nina cuts herself causing significant wounds. It seems the film implements this theme as a means of demonstrating the power and intensity with which Nina has actively repressed her shadow. Through self-inflicted pain Nina is also able to atone in a religious-like context for her id transgressions. Another prominent psychological element throughout the text is Nina’s relation and reactions to Lilly. While this interaction reaches a climactic conclusion in the film’s concluding sequence, Aronofsky explores this interaction in a number of ways. In characterizing Nina’s interactions with Lilly one researchers considered the physical nature of an actual black swan, “to behold a black swan means to confront something wholly unexpected…something that inconveniently challenges our beliefs and assumptions” (Cascio). For Nina then, Lilly functions as a shadow to which she (Nina) must painfully encounter. Still, it’s argued that, “Lilly does not serve solely destructive purposes; she also represents a potent force for change in Nina” (Cascio). As with the concluding scene, the extent that Lilly is an actual character in the narrative or merely Nina’s psychological projection of her repressed shadow is a complex notion. Indeed, it’s possible that the entire film is merely a metaphor for Nina’s psychological individuation. Within the interpretation of Lilly as the metaphorical incarnation of Nina’s shadow, one considers the evolution of their relationship. At first Nina outwardly rejects Lilly, viewing her as rash and impulsive. After Nina is given the lead role in Swan Lake and she begins her individuation process, her interactions with Lilly take on a gradually take on a different tone. No longer is Lilly one to be rejected, but instead takes on a degree of mysterious seduction. Nina’s gradual acceptance of Lily is akin to her gradually coming to terms with her previously repressed psychological desires. Of course the clearest incarnation of this realization of repressed desire occurs in the scene where Nina and Lilly take ecstasy. This scene is emblematic of Nina not only balancing her id and superego, but also entirely giving in to her id desires. In these regards, Nina eschews her next morning rehearsal to engage in illicit drug use and partying. She then has a lesbian encounter with Lilly. This lesbian encounter is the symbolic manifestation of Nina giving into to her shadow identity; through the sexual act she has, in a sense, become one with this repressed identity. Notably, when Nina encounters Lilly the next day about their sexual interaction, it is revealed that this only occurred in Nina’s mind. This demonstrates that the scene is an subconscious psychological occurrence. Ultimately, Lilly functions as the embodiment of Nina’s repressed id desires. Conclusion In conclusion, this essay has implemented Jungian psychological approaches as an analytical lens in examining the psychology behind the film ‘Black Swan’. Within this context of understanding Jung’s notion of the ‘shadow’ is implemented as the overarching interpretive framework. The essay reveals that the film is a psychological exploration of repression and self-denial, as the protagonist Nina Sayers must individuate her id and superego into a functioning whole. The black swan as represented in Lilly is symbolic of Nina’s repressed id desires – her shadow. Nina’s quest to individuate experiences both violent rejection, through her stabbing herself, and acceptance, as Nina ‘becomes’ the black swan in the final performance. Ultimately, it is these conflicting psychological impulses that place Nina in a psychotic state. References Bennett, E. A. (1966). What Jung Really Said. New York: Schocken. "Black Swan: the Jungian Shadow and Vajrayana Buddhist “Individuation”." venus. N.p., 2010. Web. 15 Dec 2011. . Burgo, Joseph. "Black Swan” and the Recovery of the Shadow Self." psychcentral. N.p., 2010. Web. 15 Dec 2011. . Cascio, Tedd. "Black Swan & Psychology." Psychology Today. N.p., 2010. Web. 15 Dec 2011. . Source Analysis What Jung Really Said This source functions as the lens to which the essay and film are based on. The source itself examines the nature of psychologist Carl Jung’s thought. Specifically it articulates Jung’s theories on the psyche and development, with specific reference to the shadow. This is important, as the shadow constitutes the main psychological theory implemented in the film. While I question at times the scientific validity of this psychoanalytic characterization of human personality, I believe it has significant relevance for film and literary analysis. "Black Swan: the Jungian Shadow and Vajrayana Buddhist “Individuation”. Similar to the previous source, this source considers Jung’s theories on personal development and the shadow. While the previous source only examines these theories in terms of Jung’s collection of writings, this source is significant in that it extends this analysis to the film itself. Ultimately, I believe that the source’s analysis is thorough and well-considered. "Black Swan & Psychology." This source is from Psychology Today. It broadly examines the notion of the black swan in a psychological context, noting that while Jung’s notion of the shadow represents a vision of the black swan, the physical nature of a black swan itself is parallel to the notion of Nina’s psychological experience. While I recognize elements of this argument are important, namely the notion that Nina is psychological confronting a troubling psychic element, I believe the notion of the an actual black swan representing this element may be a stretch. "Black Swan” and the Recovery of the Shadow Self" This source is highly insightful in its analysis. The source considers the nature of the shadow and the various means by which the film interweaves Nina’s experience and life as repressive, but at times also confronting this this psychological barrier. While the source seemingly lacks overhanded psychological terminology, its pragmatic analysis is highly effective and convincing. Read More