But regardless of the women's friendship or rivalry, the real antagonist of the film isn't Nina or Lily; it's mental illness. Black Swan takes great pains to show the mental and physical toll that Nina's single-minded pursuit of ballet perfection takes on her.

What was wrong with Nina in Black Swan?

Throughout the film, Nina and the viewer find it difficult to distinguish reality from psychosis. The symptoms begin as visual hallucinations in which she sees an eerie version of herself in various situations; she even sees her stuffed animals and her mother's paintings mocking her.

Who is the antagonist in Black Swan?

In the next scene, we are introduced to Lily and see she has on ear buds. This cues the viewing audience that Lily is the “twin” Nina spied on the subway. Lily is Nina's “black swan.” Lily is the main antagonist.

Did Nina actually stab Lily?

Nina Hallucinated Killing Lily

The final twist reveals that Nina had hallucinated Lily's death and instead stabbed herself in the abdomen. However, given the artist she is, she continues performing the ballet's final act as a dying Odette, landing on a mattress with thunderous applause.

Did Nina stab Beth Black Swan?

It isn't clear if it is real or if Nina was the one who did it — the latter is more likely. When she returns the things she took from Beth's (Winona Ryder) dressing room, the shoe knife becomes a weapon of self-harm, as Beth repeatedly stabs herself in the face.

Lana Parrilla knows what we want - SwanQueen

Why does Nina's mom cut her nails?

Nina says they're nothing but a rash and her mother becomes angry and hints that Nina hasn't scratched herself like this since she was younger, and she thought Nina was over this. Nina tries to brush her off but her mother grabs her hand and takes her to the bathroom to cut her fingernails with scissors.

Why did Nina steal Beth's stuff?

She stole them because she was trying to acquire an aspect of Beth herself. Wearing them gave Nina a sense of power and achievement. She psychologically steals these feelings from Beth because Nina couldn't develop those qualities within her own self.

Why did Nina's eyes turn red?

The night before she is set to perform, Nina becomes convinced that Lily is going to take her place. Her paranoia and mental strain cause her to hallucinate that she's physically turning into the role of Odile, the Black Swan, complete with red eyes and black feathers protruding from bird-like skin.

Why does Nina have a cut on her back?

Nina's increasing neuroses are manifested in a bizarre, unconscious kind of self-mutilation. Repeatedly she picks at the skin around her fingernails and scratches her back viciously. She has awful hallucinations in which she sees herself tearing bloody strips of skin away from her fingers.

Did Nina's mom abuse her in Black Swan?

Nina is a teenaged girl, and she is being sexually abused by Thomas and her mother.

Who killed Nina in Black Swan?

She envisions the black swan version of herself on multiple occasions. She has fantasy encounters with her understudy Lily (Mila Kunis), one where they are romantic and another where Nina appears to kill her. However, the latter is when Nina actually appears to stab herself.

Did Lily and Nina sleep together?

Maybe she had the first one at the bar with Lilly and the two guys, because Lilly confirmed they existed the next day. NOT REAL: Therefore, Lilly and Nina did not have actual sex (we know this because after sex, Lilly said something to Nina about being a ‘Good girl’ and then tried to smother her. Not real!)

What did Lily give Nina?

At a restaurant that evening, Lily offers Nina a capsule of ecstasy to help her loosen up.

What mental illness did Black Swan have?

Accuracy of Portrayal

Although symptoms would not occur as rapidly as they do in Nina Sayers in most common cases of schizophrenia, it is plausible. Therefore, Black Swan is a decent portrayal of a person's descent into paranoid schizophrenia.

What is the hidden message in the Black Swan?

The broken mirror symbolizes that she is no longer a victim to the black swan and that she is in control of its dark power. As the corruption of the Black Swan effected her mentally, emotionally, and spiritually, the transformation attributed to her fall as the White Swan that was completely diminished.

Is Nina schizophrenic?

The portrayal of Nina's schizophrenia is shown by hallucination that she experiences. It happens when Nina on rehearsal alone and she hears noises. When she comes to the noises, she sees the form of Lily and Leroy making love. Shortly after that, Nina sees Leroy's face change into a creepy figure.

Why is Black Swan so disturbing?

Destruction of the body is the basis of all horror, but Black Swan's body horror serves a dual purpose by not only freaking out the viewer but also using symbolism to represent the decline of Nina's mental state. Though it isn't as overt as most other horror films, Black Swan is no less terrifying.

Was Lily bad in Black Swan?

Lily was the evil twin and the director of the play was the prince, Lily was seducing the director (Thomas) but Nina becomes the black swan and seduces him but ended up killing herself to finally free herself from the constant burden she puts on herself to be perfect all the time.

Why does Nina steal the lipstick?

In Beth, we see Nina's fascination with the company's fading female star played out against the backdrop of society's disdain for aging females. Eager to emulate Beth and feel what it's like to be in her shoes, Nina steals her lipstick, an act which foreshadows Nina "stealing" her role and her power.

What do the mirrors symbolize in The Black Swan?

Mirrors routinely dominate the mise en scene, suggesting that Nina's fragile self-identity is entirely contained and defined by external 'surface' reflections; she is effectively reduced to what she sees staring back at her in the mirror.

What does the Black Swan symbolize in Swan Lake?

As the Black Swan, though, he represents what some South Africans, according to Masilo, see as dark forces in society: homosexuality and AIDS. Masilo plays up this dichotomy between the two swans in a pair of pas de deux. In the first, Odette courts Siegfried, whom she is set to marry.

What does the end of Black Swan mean?

There are two ways to view the ending of Black Swan: Nina only thought that she killed Lily and actually stabbed herself... or Nina has imagined the entire thing and is still alive. Both make sense within the context of the movie and audiences are divided about what the end means.

Why is Rio obsessed with Beth?

Despite there being uncertainty surrounding Rio and Beth's relationship, it seems Rio is attracted to Beth because he has never been around a woman like her before. She is able to lead a double life which includes being a wife as well as being a skilled criminal, and it fascinates him how she can do both.

What is the mark on Nina's back?

During rehearsals, Thomas tells Nina to observe a newcomer, Lily, who has a physical resemblance to Nina but also an uninhibited quality Nina lacks. Nina has hallucinations and finds scratch marks on her back.

What triggers Nina's mental illness?

Aronofsky clearly enriches the film with a storyline that points to Nina's first psychotic break, likely triggered by a combination of her genetic heritability, childhood experience of abuse, age, and the heightened environmental stress placed upon her as principal ballerina.