Nina is a teenaged girl, and she is being sexually abused by Thomas and her mother. The world of professional ballet looks nothing like what we see in the movie because it isn't one: it's a ballet school, Thomas is an instructor, and the Swan Queen production is a one-night performance by students.

What was wrong with Nina's mom in Black Swan?

The Black Swan and Psychological Illness

Nina's disordered relationship with her roommate mother Erica, played by Barbara Hershey, sets the stage for Nina's psychological breakdown. Erica is narcissistic, spending all of her time painting pictures of herself and completely infringing on Nina's space and well-being.

Why was Nina's mother upset Black Swan?

Because the mother is a failed dancer, she lives vicariously through Nina while simultaneously harboring some resentment of Nina's success. It's the career she never had. She also is over-protective and treats her daughter like a helpless child.

Did Nina's mom abuse her?

See, both Precious and Nina suffer from mother-daughter sex abuse, a topic that few have discussed publicly even though both films received widespread attention when they opened in theaters. How much of our reluctance has to do not only with the subject matter but also with how each film chooses to tell their stories?

Did Nina actually sleep with Lily?

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 is up with Nina's mom in Black Swan?

Did Nina hallucinate killing Lily?

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

Is Lily evil 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 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.

What is Nina's mom problem?

The viewer learns early on that Nina struggles with several issues, including obsessions with dancing and perfectionism, as well as an eating disorder. Additionally, Nina lives with her mother who also displays elements of mental illness, including narcissistic personality and depressive features.

Why did they cut Nina's mom?

"I made the decision to cut Nina's mom, not because I don't like the character, but we really wanted to push the idea of Usnavi and Nina as they grew up together...and they're taking different paths," Hudes said (via Variety). "Her path is to leave the community, and his path is to stay in the community.

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.

Why did Lily drug Nina?

Lily notices that Nina is a bit stiff and stressed, so the offers her a pill of ecstasy to relax.

What did Nina do in the toilet Black Swan?

The two fight, breaking a mirror. Nina stabs her doppelgänger with a large shard of glass from the mirror, killing her. The body reverts to Lily. Nina hides the corpse in the bathroom and takes the stage, dancing flawlessly as Odile and seemingly turns into a black swan, her arms covered in feathers.

Is Black Swan about BPD?

Rachel Loewy, assistant adjunct professor of psychiatry at UC San Francisco, agrees that Nina's troubles could be consistent with a borderline personality disorder (in which a person has difficulty setting proper boundaries between herself and others) rather than a full-blown psychosis.

How much weight did Natalie lose for Black Swan?

Natalie Portman has transformed herself for many film roles, but nothing was as grueling as her Black Swan makeover. The actress shed an astonishing 20lbs from her already slight frame to play a ballerina in the 2011 film and admitted it put such a toll on her body that she thought she was going to die.

Does Nina sleep with Thomas?

Thomas also says her self-destructive tendencies made her compelling, and Nina is implied to have an eating disorder and impulsively scratch at herself. Beth is what Nina will become when she gets older: bitter, clingy, and still mentally imbalanced. Nina had sex with Thomas, not Lily.

Was Nina's mom a ballerina?

Nina's mother, Erica, is a former dancer living vicariously through her daughter. Even though Erica tends to Nina's every need, it's clear their relationship has crossed from affection to cloying codependency. Erica can no more let Nina grow up than Nina can live without her.

Is Lily a figment of Nina's imagination?

Lily is a real character, but many of the interactions with Nina are completely Nina's imagination.

Did Nina have bulimia in Black Swan?

In the movie, Ms. Portman's character, prima ballerina and Swan Queen Nina Sayers, shows signs and symptoms of both anorexia and bulimia.

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.

What does Black Swan symbolize?

Black Swan signifies an insight about yourself changes your position from one of victim to victor. Black Swan is a graceful reminder to move from any position where you feel powerless and at the mercy of external forces; it is time to reclaim your personal power. Black swan can represent spiritual love and freedom.

Why did Nina's face change?

I originally replied that the combination of weight loss due to smoking, aging, bad eyebrows and a bad wig was the reason why she looked different. Just recently found out she got plastic surgery too, which I had no idea. I couldn't put my finger on why her eye area looked so different and now I finally understand.

Who is the villain in Swan Lake Ballet?

Baron von Rothbart – Swan Lake

One of its central antagonists is Baron Von Rothbart, a selfish and cunning sorcerer who casts a spell on Odette and turns her into a swan. His character is cruel and obsessive, proving to be a stark contrast to that of Odette's; the white swan representing kindness and purity.

Did she have schizophrenia in Black Swan?

But speaking as a psychiatrist, Lamberti said the film did not accurately depict schizophrenia, as has been widely speculated, but "does present a reasonable portrait of psychosis." "People tend to be scared of things they don't understand," he said.

Who is the baddie in Swan Lake?

Most versions of Swan Lake pit the purity of the white swans against the evil of the black-cloaked magician von Rothbart and his daughter, Odile, the Black Swan.