Tchaikovsky Meets Mansell

Clint Mansell

In our current obsession with Black Swan, it would be wrong of me to look past the fantastic soundtrack. Clint Mansell, an English film composer, comes back yet again to work with Darren Aronofsky. My first encounter with Mansell happened to be with my first viewing of Requiem for a Dream, another film by Aronofsky. I fell in love with the score as fast as I fell in love with the film. Mansell's style usually incorporates various techno styles and instruments while providing a classical base.

Mansell composed the score to Black Swan using elements from Tchaikovsky's masterpiece, Swan Lake. Fitting enough since the film is based on the ballet. However it is remarkable how Mansell created a new experience, without changing its roots. While any other composer would have modulated to a minor key and called it a score, Mansell chose to do otherwise. Keeping the original piece rather intact is what makes the whole score work. Nina Sayers' dark obsession with her image and the ballet is transcribed into the soundtrack with a seemingly flawless effort. Thank you Clint Mansell for providing yet again a seamless bridge between film and music.

Clint Mansell on Twitter

Welcome to The Culture Cure: Black Swan Style

This blog was started because lately film criticism and public perception has my dear friend Billy and I feeling rather like this:

And we want to get back to feeling like this:

Welcome to our blog. It isn't half as crazy as Nina here, but hopefully it can be half as entertaining. If you've seen Black Swan, then you certainly know that's a pretty tall order, but we're going to do our best.

If you haven't seen Black Swan, we feel your pain. A week ago we were in the same boat. GO NOW. Even if it means a long drive and paying an arm and a leg for gas. Like it or not, it's something of an unmissable film experience. Gotta love that crazy bastard Darren Aronofsky. He's 5 for 5 now in our books (yes, even including The Fountain).