The discussion and debate intensifies around the web and if you haven’t weighed in yet, yesterday’s update has a pretty epic comment section already.
The links today are a bit more positive, from Natalie and Black Swan’s perspective at least. I guess this is like a tidbits update with purpose.
– Let’s kick off with Cinemabland, who point out one of the more obvious flaws in Lanes complaints – that Natalie was very clear about what she wasn’t able to do and even praised Lane for filling in where necessary.
Sarah Lane would have every right to be pissed off if Portman and company were claiming no body double was used, but the reality has been the exact opposite. I can’t tell you how many interviews I’ve read in which the new Academy Award winner has admitted she couldn’t master the most difficult moves and needed Sarah Lane to make those work. The whole point of training rigorously at a craft in preparation for a film is to make the audience believe you are who you’re playing. Numerous examples of this can be found in sports movies. Let’s take Slap Shot for example. I’m well aware Paul Newman wasn’t good enough to be a minor league hockey player, but because he has a fluidity to his skating, holds the stick correctly and seems entirely competent on the ice, viewers are able to buy him in that role. The same principal applies to Tin Cup. Kevin Costner is not a professional golfer, but it doesn’t matter. He worked on the arc and motion of his swing enough so that the shots of him playing seem realistic enough.
– Next is Devin Faraci’s article, which claims that Tom Cruise doesn’t do all his own stunts. HOW CAN THAT BEEEEEEEE?
Yeah, everybody talks about the work that the actors do in preparation. Portman studied dance for months. But that was just to allow her to give the illusion of dancing, not to actually get on stage and perform in a ballet. Movies are a collaborational artform where most of the artists are invisible. It’s the nature of the beast.
– Livinsanity asks a pertinent question.
If Sarah Lane were in charge of the movie industry, there would be no movie industry, because, in her eyes, suspension of disbelief woulld not be allowed, trick camera work would not be allowed, stunt doubles would not be allowed and body doubles would not be allowed. Of course, if that were the case, Sarah Lane would have been out of job on the film “Black Swan.” In reality, it is not the case, so I merely have one question for Sarah Lane, “Why did you sign on to be a body double in the first place?”
– And lastly, Sasha Stone points out some more obvious things that were seemingly ignored by the initial wave of media coverage.
The film is mostly about closeups on her face, her shoulders — they freeze frame on a pose — she occasionally has to do a turn or something. But to me, it was obvious when it was her and when it was the double.