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“Black Swan, the movie everyone is talking about,” said Mr Voiceover Man in the TV spot. If you weren’t talking about Black Swan, then it meant having to go see the film just to be included in the conversation. The film is a prime example of how positive word-of-mouth can ignite the box office. Since its release you can’t tell me that you haven’t had someone talk to you about it.

From talking to Entertainment Weekly, Portman said, “Everyone was so worried about who was going to want to see this movie. I remember them being like, ‘How do you get guys to a ballet movie? How do you get girls to a thriller?’ And the answer is a lesbian scene. Everyone wants to see that.” The slice of lesbianism in the film cannot be understated. Even before it had begun shooting, word got out that there was a lesbian sex scene. When it came to marketing the film, someone had the genius idea to include shots of Mila Kunis and Natalie Portman kissing in the trailer and TV spots. This alone is likely to have added a significant amount to the film’s overall box office. Seeing two Hollywood actresses locking lips was bound to have piqued interest amongst male moviegoers. So when women told their partners, “I’m off to go see Black Swan,” a large majority of men decided to tag along, some of them using the excuse that they wanted to see a well reviewed movie (from those I’ve talked to that have seen it, Black Swan appears to be a liked more by guys than girls).

When Black Swan was in release, it was parodied on Saturday Night Live with “that” Jim Carrey sketch, which only ended up bringing the film more exposure. It didn’t take long for the film to reach pop culture status. One only has to do a quick search on YouTube to find a multitude of make-up tutorial videos on how to create the Black Swan look (some were uploaded before the film was even released).

The film seemed to have everything going for it – fantastic word-of-mouth, positive reviews (even a good chunk of the negative reviews found something to like), a lead actress getting the best reviews of her career, and awards. Nominated for five Oscars, it won one, for Best Actress. In fact, Portman won damn near every single Best Actress award going, also taking home a Golden Globe and a BAFTA. After winning the Oscar, controversy arose from Portman’s dance double in the film, Sarah Lane, who claimed that most of the full body dance shots were of her, and not Portman. While heavily contested, it did little against the film’s overall impact, for by this point it had already amassed $280 million worldwide.

Hooked from the moment I saw the trailer, I viewed Black Swan the morning after it had opened. Days after I had seen it, I was still thinking about it. For me, it is one of only two films released in 2010 that delivered a truly cinematic experience. In the words of Nina Sayers, “It was perfect.” Unfortunately, I just didn’t have anyone to talk to about it at the time.

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