Index Nina's Mental Illness in "Black Swan" My Attitude Toward This Case Works Cited The world of ballet is highly competitive and is known to place dancers under intense pressure to become perfect for their roles. Dancers are exposed to many internal and external forces that can create an extremely stressful environment: there is the need to maintain a slim but toned figure, constant competition from other dancers in one's company, as well as the struggle for perfection in your body. -shows on stage. Black Swan, directed by Darren Aronofsky, is a film that follows Nina Sayers (Natalie Portman), a skilled dancer who lands the coveted role of the Swan Queen. As she prepares for the role, it is clear that she is the perfect embodiment of the White Swan: innocent, fragile and pure. However, the main challenge of the film is that Nina struggles to play the Black Swan, a dark, seductive and seductive character. The film follows her transition into learning how to become the Black Swan and can also be seen as a metaphor for the physical and psychological challenges one must endure to achieve artistic perfection. While Black Swan is a gripping psychological thriller that explores the sacrifices that must be made to achieve artistic excellence, it is also a film that skillfully portrays Natalie Portman's character as experiencing many symptoms that can be diagnosed as several psychological disorders including obsessive-compulsive disorder. , anorexia nervosa and paranoid schizophrenia. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Nina's Mental Illness in "Black Swan" Over the course of the film, Nina suffers from a variety of symptoms that could warrant a diagnosis of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Many times throughout the film, Nina expresses her obsession with being perfect. During rehearsals, Thomas explains, "In the four years that you've been dancing, I've seen you become obsessed with doing every single move to perfection" (Black Swan, 2010). Nina explains her exceptional discipline by saying, “I just want to be perfect. (Black Swan, 2010). Nina's obsession with perfection is reinforced by the fact that, although she is an exemplary dancer, she focuses so intently on the technical aspects of her art that she can no longer "feel" it. Even though he is dying at the end of the film, he makes a point of telling Thomas “I heard it. Perfect. I was perfect. (Black Swan, 2010). It is also important to consider that Nina's scratching and other self-injurious behaviors are likely compulsions to reduce her anxiety. She is seen scratching her back after stressful events such as after dance rehearsals and after scolding from others in her company. In fact, this compulsion is so severe that Nina's mother was forced to put socks on her hands to stop her from scratching while sleeping. Defined by unreasonable thoughts and repetitive behaviors, OCD links psychological distress to anxiety. Nina's scratching behavior reflects the emotional tension and anxiety that comes from her slow descent into madness as the demands of the role weigh heavily on her. Furthermore, Nina also displays symptoms indicative of anorexia nervosa. Although being a professional dancer puts her at greater risk of developing anorexia, there are a number of scenes in which Nina is seen making herself vomit in the bathroom. Although it remains ambiguous whether she is vomiting due to external stresses or to keep her weight light, the film implies that after vomiting Nina is relieved of her anxiety. Her extremely thin figure and her preoccupation with perfectionism also indicate that she is anorexic. Nina's morbid fear ofgaining weight is best seen through her dramatic refusal to eat a simple slice of cake after landing the role of the Swan Queen, as well as when she gazes apprehensively at a small grapefruit. Nina's competitive occupation and the tension she faces from both her mother and director show how her environment is an important factor that led her to develop such symptoms. In addition to OCD and anorexia, Nina experiences a large number of vivid, visceral hallucinations and delusions that suggest she is a paranoid schizophrenic. Nina's delusions that Lily (Mila Kunis) wants to take her and steal the lead role are made clear when Thomas chooses Lily as an alternative to the Swan Queen. Nina begins to see Lily's face on herself and others. Her psychotic episodes often involve sexual themes parallel to the Black Swan character. These include dramatic hallucinations in which Nina has sex with Lily even though Lily claims she left the party with another man and Lily has sex with Thomas while Nina is at rehearsal of dance. Finally, in the film's third act, Nina experiences another psychotic episode on the show's opening night where she finds Lily in her dressing room. Nina eventually stabs Lily, killing her. In a turn of events, it is later revealed that Lily was just another hallucination and Nina actually stabbed herself. Although research shows many causes for the development of schizophrenia, stressful circumstances in Nina's life, including obtaining and preparing for the role of the Swan Queen, an overbearing and manipulative mother who is smothering her, and abuse from home and work make you vulnerable to these symptoms. While the film does not explicitly show when Nina developed these symptoms, it is safe to assume that her OCD and anorexia symptoms began when she was a child, largely due to her mother's efforts to make her a famous dancer later had to give up her career to raise Nina. Furthermore, Nina's psychotic episodes and schizophrenic symptoms appear to have begun after she began preparing for the role of the Swan Queen. Because of these disorders, Nina remains estranged from the other dancers. She distrusts everyone around her, including those in her dance troupe, focusing solely on dancing and the pursuit of perfection. As already mentioned, Nina's psychotic episodes make her particularly wary of Lily and her possible ulterior motives. My attitude towards this case Although I personally don't like to get involved in other people's affairs, I feel that if it were in my place, I would say so Nina says it's nice to immerse yourself in the character of the Black Swan, but not at the cost of getting hurt and jeopardize his future. Furthermore, she should try to finally distance herself from her oppressive mother because she is holding her back developmentally. Society would likely respond to Nina just as the other members of her dance company already do: by keeping their distance and avoiding any close relationships. To be completely honest, I can't see myself working or living with people who are so concerned with perfection that it's ultimately dangerous and prevents them from forming meaningful relationships. While it's important to do your best at everything you set out to do, it's not worth sacrificing meaningful connections and purposeful communication with others. Please note: this is just an example. Get a customized document from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Black Swan by Darren Aronofsky is a film with very strong visual and auditory elements that allowed the viewer to understand, 12(2), 123-131.