Alfred Hitchcock Marathon

The master of Suspense!

Every year I re-watch my Alfred Hitchcock collection. So what better way to kick off the Fall than with one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. I’ll watch several of his movies and write an analysis.

I will begin this week with Rebecca, my favorite of the bunch.

Black Swan Movie Beat Sheet

1. Opening Image
	Ballerina (Nina) on stage under a single light.
2. Theme Stated
	Nina is dancing a dark piece where she's being pursued.
3. Set-Up
	Nina sits in front of her mirror, mentions it was a dream to her mother. While on the train she sees someone who looks like her. She goes to work as a ballerina, where she trains.
4. Catalyst - Inciting Incident
	During practice, Thomas shows up. All the girls are on their best. He wants a new lead to star in swan lake as a black & white swan.
5. Debate
	Nina has a chance at the lead, will compete later. Nina catches the aging ex-lead (Beth) leave in a rage. She tries out for Thomas but fails at creating the passion of the black swan. On the way home she again sees a woman who looks like her. She breaks her toe nail while at home. She talks to Thomas to get the job, he says she's not the black swan, tries to kiss her, she bites him. Thomas gives Nina the lead role.
6. Break into Two
	"whore" is written on the glass for her to see.
7. B Story
	View of Nina & her mom's relationship: Mother is overbearing, treats Nina like a child. She bakes a cake & Nina eats it to keep her mother from being upset.
8. Fun and Games
	Celebratory event hosted by Thomas. She hallucinates that the skin on her finger is peeling. Beth calls Nina a whore. Thomas suggests Nina masturbate. Mother finds more marks on Nina & is concerned that she hasn't outgrown scratching herself. She masturbates and stops when she sees her mother sleeping in her room. Beth is in the hospital, she walked in front of a bus. Nina visits a sleeping Beth, her leg is broken. Nina is shaken up. Nina finds a metal pipe for the purpose of keeping her bedroom door closed and keeping her mother out (transitioning from her mother). Thomas still working with Nina to get the black swan, makes a pass at her, seduces her and he tells her that she needs to seduce him, not the other way around. She's not getting it done. Nina hallucinates seeing herself, nails bleed, more scratches on her back.
9. Tentpole - Midpoint - Reversal
	Against her mother's wishes, Nina goes out with Lily
10. Bad Guys Close In
	Nina & Lily hang. She drinks, meets guys, takes ecstasy. Lily seduces Nina. She takes Lily home, mother is angry, they make love in the house.
11. All Is Lost
	She wakes up late.
12. Dark Night of the Soul
	Lily tells Nina that she didn't sleep with her. Nina had hallucinated it. She continues her practice when suddenly she sees her double in the reflection. She's unhappy that Lily is her replacement. Feels threatened.
13. Break into Three
	Alone, night before the performance, she practices & she's sees her double in the mirror.
14. Finale - Confrontation
	More hallucinations: Thomas & Lily having sex, with Thomas turning into a dark creature from her dream at the beginning. Another of her visiting Beth, who stabs herself with a nail file. Her rash looks like black feathers growing out, her toes webbed - physical transformation into a black swan as per her mind. She performs on stage, opening night. She kills Lily, thinking it's a hallucination of herself, or does she? Then performances the black swan brilliantly as she transforms into a swan on stage in her own mind
15. Aftermath
	Nina goes back to her room to put on her white swan makeup, realizes that Lily isn't dead, she stabbed herself in the stomach, basically killing the white swan part of her. She performs, finishes the last act as the white swan and dies from the self- inflicted wound.
16. Final Image
	Her euphoric face as she lay dying after her perfect performance.