Analyzing Darren Aronofsky's Films

"Mathematics is the language of nature, everything around us can be represented and understood through numbers, if you graph these numbers patterns emerge, therefore: There are patterns everywhere in nature"

- Pi

Fitting quote for the theme of this post.

I have re watch all of Darren Aronofsky's films once again, without any doubt he is one of the most talented directors of this generation, all of his films are memorable, his writing and story-telling is crushing, devastating and beautiful and not so many films today can generate those kind of feelings in such a way.

[caption id="attachment_112" align="alignnone" width="298"] "In the end it's all nice"[/caption]

But I will not review every single of Aronosfky's films, I will discuss about his style, his unique filming techniques and (as you have may read on the quote on top) I have re watch all of his films, and I have found that in all of them, patterns emerge, both technically and conceptually.

First of all, you have to agree with me, all of Aronofsky's films have a really claustrophobic nature, all of them are truly and deeply centered in his main characters and everything that they're going trough, you only see the film trough their eyes, and most of them, are extremely alone characters, either that or are extremely obsess with something.

Max with the number (Pi). Harry, Marion and Tyrone well... with drugs, Sara Goldfard with her appearance in that TV Show and her weight loss that ultimately drives her into insanity (Requiem For A Dream). Tom with finding the cure of death (The Fountain). Randy with his golden days of wrestling (The Wrestler). Nina with her dark role in Swan Lake (Black Swan).

[caption id="attachment_91" align="alignnone" width="300"] "If the number's there I'll find it!"[/caption]

All of the characters are desperate and in need of something, in all films we can explore all the consequences of their obsessions, but never them actually trying to overcome this obsession. Except in The Wrestler.

[caption id="attachment_93" align="alignnone" width="300"] The Ram in probably the last moments of his life[/caption]

In The Wrestler, Randy is the only main character who tries to overcome his obsession and leaving it behind, at the moment when his doctor tells him he can't wrestle anymore. He struggles to find a new job, tries to reunite with his daughter and set a normal life, although he sadly fails, is the only of Aronofosky's character that we see in this transition.

Although many people have made the comparison between the similarities of The Wrestler and Black Swan (both dealing about the life of a performer) this two films, explore the same concept in drastically different ways, The Wrestler in a more personal, introspective and realistic way and Black Swan in a more metaphysical, philosophical and allegorical style.

And besides of that, the protagonist of this two films are really different and they really don't have a lot in common. Were I can see a truly similarity is between Nina Sayers (Black Swan) and Sara Goldfarb (Requiem For A Dream)

[caption id="attachment_95" align="alignnone" width="300"] Aronofsky's Princess[/caption]

Seriously, these characters are almost the same person. They are both shy and lonely women, not really confident about themselves and suddenly this huge opportunity is presented in front of them, they don't know how to deal with this huge opportunity, they try their best but end up obsessing with it, until that obsession drives them into complete self-destruction.

I know that obsession is a theme in pretty much all of Aronofsky's film, but in this case, Sara and Nina's insanity is manifested in similar metaphysical and surrealistic ways.

[caption id="attachment_99" align="alignnone" width="300"] Nina with the whole "WTF I'm turning into a fucking swan" thing[/caption]

Of course Nina with the Swan transformation but not only that, also with the whole Lily imaginary counterpart and the surreal scene we see when she enters her room and watches all the drawings talking.

[caption id="attachment_100" align="alignnone" width="300"] And Sara's Fridge[/caption]

And in the other hand, we have Sara with her terrifying fridge and not only that, the TV also starts tormenting her when the characters of the TV show come to life and throw a party in her house, completely humiliating the poor woman.



So yea, one of them just wanted to be on a TV show and the other just wanted to be perfect, is that too much to ask?

Other couple of characters that are really alike are Max (Pi) and Tommy (The Fountain) both scientist trying to reach something impossible and finally they realize at the end that some aspects of the world or some aspects of nature can't be changed or controlled.

[caption id="attachment_109" align="alignnone" width="300"] "When I was a little kid my mother told me not to stare into the sun. So once when I was six, I did, my pupils shrunk to pinholes and everything came into focus and for a moment I understood."[/caption]

Okay so, moving on in more technical ways:

My brother actually was the one who made me realize this: in every one of Aronofsky's films, there's a transition shot or camera angle that is heavily use trough the entire film.

Don't believe me? OK

We have the constant fade to white transition that it is used in Pi, mostly in the end of a surrealistic or crazy scene. We have the famous hip-hop montage/transition used in Requiem For A Dream every time the characters sells or consumes drugs (this technique is also use in Pi, but Requiem really exploits it).



in The Fountain we have the constant above shot

[caption id="attachment_103" align="alignnone" width="300"] Really cool shot[/caption]

And in The Wrestler and Black Swan, we have the constant following from behind-shot

[caption id="attachment_105" align="alignnone" width="300"] I couldn't find an image of Black Swan, but you can see the shot on the trailer in 0:41 and 1:19[/caption]



Also another thing, in Black Swan the fade to white transition it's also use several times.

Getting back to a more conceptual area, I also realize another thing about most of the protagonist of the films: They all have some kind of really horrible condition that is either killing them or causing them a lot of pain, and all of them end up ignoring that condition causing some really horrible damage at the end.

[caption id="attachment_107" align="alignnone" width="300"] "SHIIIT Harry, since how long you have that?"[/caption]

So well in Pi we have the "brain tumor" or something... that ends up been the physical manifestation of the number and is killing Max from the very inside. In Requiem For A Dream, Harry has... that thing that makes him lose his arm in the end, in The Wrestler we have Ram's heart condition and in Black Swan we have the scratches and scars from Nina on her back, fingers and toes.

[caption id="attachment_110" align="alignnone" width="300"] Max is the only one who takes drastic measures as you can see[/caption]

So yea, all of the films have a lot of aspects in common and I like that, I like when a director or writer or musician or artist tries to create his own style and repeats some things here and there, of course an artist most reinvent his work, but having your own style is as important.

And if you haven't watch any of Aronofsky's films or if you haven't watch all of them, please do, he's work is easily one of the best cinema of this years, and also he always work with the genius composer Clint Mansell making every soundtrack profound and epic. For me Aronofsky has perfected what some people call "Modern Tragedy" and.... GO WATCH HIS FILMS.

[caption id="attachment_111" align="alignnone" width="300"] Juice by Darren juice by Darren Ohhhhh Darren's got juice Darren's got juice[/caption]

So yea that's all, and thanks for reading :D

Have a nice day