Making a movie takes a Herculean effort from a team of people all looking to get the job done while making something amazing happen. Franchise films like we see in the MCU and DC make it seem so easy, but the truth is that movie magic only happens because everyone involved shares the same goals.
Natalie Portman is as good as it gets in Hollywood, and even though she has a wealth of experience, she has seen some of the less glamorous moments that can take place on set. While making one of her best movies, the actress wound up dislocating a rib and dealing with a whole lot more.
Let’s look back at the rough time Natalie Portman had making Black Swan.
The Injury Happened While Filming Black Swan
Natalie Portman has been around the acting game for years now, and while she has delivered a number of exceptional performances, some point to Black Swan as perhaps her best. Turns out, making this movie wound up being physically taxing for the actress, and at one point, she dislocated a rib while filming.
Injuries happen on set, but rare is it to see someone get hurt and a director refuses to stop filming and offer them some help. As the story goes, Portman dislocated a rib while filming a scene, and instead of getting her some medical attention, director Darren Aronofsky told her to remain in character while he filmed.
“Darren was like, 'Film it! Film it! Stay in character, talk in your character's voice,'” Portman revealed to the San Francisco Chronicle.
People suffer for their art, but this is taking things too far. At what point does someone draw the line between landing a great shot and actually helping someone in need? Nevertheless, the story has somewhat lived on in infamy, and it is a reality check for those who think making movies is all fun and games.
Dislocating a rib was tough enough for Portman, but there was more going on behind the scenes.
The Entire Process Was Difficult
Another interesting tidbit that Portman revealed about making this movie was her feelings about Aronofsky turning her and Mila Kunis into rivals onset by keeping them away from one another.
When speaking with the L.A. Times, she said, “He'd say: 'Oh, Mila is doing really well on her stuff. She's so much better than you.' I think he was trying to create a rivalry in real life between us.”
On top of that, Portman also discussed what it was like having to live and train as a ballerina and one particular item of clothing that was awful for her.
“Pointe shoes are torture devices. I mean, ballerinas get used to it and so it was definitely a case of it being a new experience for me, but they feel very medieval,” she told Elle.
However, despite having a rough go of things on set, the actress knows that others have had it way worse in the ballet world.
“But it wasn’t the end of the world. Real dancers dance with such incredible injuries that you wouldn’t even believe. It’s a nightmare for them to be replaced once they’ve made it to the top. So they will dance with a sprained ankle or torn plantar fascia or twisted necks just to make sure they can keep their moment,” Portman told NPR.
The Film Was A Huge Success
So, was all of this worth it? Well, we certainly imagine so given the immense amount of success that the film would find and the critical acclaim that Portman would receive for her amazing performance in the movie.
Released back in 2010, Black Swan went on to gross $330 million at the box office while receiving critical acclaim. People couldn’t stop buzzing about how good the movie was, and most were blown away by what Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis brought to the table in the film.
For her efforts in the movie, Natalie Portman took home the Academy Award for Best Actress, an honor that cemented her place as one of the best actresses in Hollywood. It remains one of her best movies and performances, and people still venture back to watch this movie to see just how great she was all throughout.
When reflecting on the movie and on working with Aronofsky, Portman would say, “It was an incredible experience for so many reasons. I had always loved dance so much. It is the art I am most moved by, that expresses things that can’t be expressed by other media. It took 10 years for it to come together.”
“Darren was a great collaborator. Darren was genuinely interested in my point of view and my input. It felt like a partnership,” she continued.
Natalie Portman may have won an Oscar for Black Swan but she was put through the wringer in order to get there.