MELBOURNE UNIVERSITY FILM INQUIRER

By Jordan Low

Along with peers like Christopher Nolan and David Fincher, Darren Aronofsky was one of the top filmmakers who gained prominence in the 2000s within the ‘dark’, psychological thriller genre. Over the years, Aronofsky has developed and perfected his style to the point where he is capable of making both artistic and commercial box-office successes without compromising his sensibilities. Key here: despite the variety of subject matter he covers, Aronofsky never fails to champion core character development, as the majority of his films cast a spotlight on protagonists who are harrowed by a breadth of issues concerning the complexities of humanity – age (The Fountain, The Wrestler), obsession (Pi, Black Swan), or even God (Noah, mother!). For a consideration of all his self-directed features up until The Whale, read on.

Pi (1998)

Max (Sean Gullette) is a lonely mathematician who, over the course of the film’s brief 84 minutes, struggles with an increasing fascination with numbers and how they work in the world. On a shoestring budget, Aronofsky delivers a convincing depiction of obsession with the help of a strong screenplay, memorable characters, and monochromatic photography that enhances rather than detracts from the plot at hand. The smart usage of grainy print makes the film feel like an old newsreel, almost as if we are watching a fascinating, unearthed documentary. As difficult as it is to make a black and white film about math engrossing, Aronofsky plays around with the plot and audiences’ expectations to create a wonderful debut that successfully explores themes he will revisit later on.

Rating: 8.5/10

Requiem for a Dream (2000)

Like Steven Soderbergh’s Traffic from the same year, Requiem for a Dream focuses on the impacts of drugs on several different levels of society; in the case of Requiem, a well-to-do widow, an unemployed couple, and their underprivileged friend from the ghetto. Personified by a wonderful cast led by Ellen Burstyn, Jared Leto, and Jennifer Connelly, Aronofsky does not shy away from both the beauty and brutality of drug use. Idyllic experiences are tinged with a wonderful, dreamlike quality, while the disturbing hallucinations that he previously utilised in Pi are ramped up to the max here. The stylistic use of split screen and extreme close-ups convey the mood perfectly and create a sense of unease whenever necessary. Burstyn, in particular, gives the performance of a lifetime as a widow who becomes addicted to amphetamines, and many of her scenes are as, if not more, horrific than her other terrifying film, The Exorcist (1973). Kudos to Aronofsky for committing to such a discomforting film knowing that most people will find it extremely difficult to watch (and I can’t imagine many finding enjoyment in watching twice, such is the harrowing power of the experience). Two decades later, there has not been a better film about drugs and all its ills. Overall, this one is emotionally hard-hitting without feeling manipulative.

Rating: 9/10

The Fountain (2006)

Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz star as a couple who have similar experiences in three separate storylines across time. As a whole, Aronofsky explores regret, love, and existentialism with style and confidence to spare. While the mixed reception to the film is understandable, I am a firm believer that The Fountain deserves more praise. Few films of this scale – another good one being Cloud Atlas (2012), which had triple the budget and its own merits and flaws – manage to tell complex, interweaving storylines, all whilst incorporating various genres into a convincing piece. Jackman injects his character with the level of emotion necessary for us to follow him across the wildly differing plotlines and environments. Clint Mansell’s score is suitably ethereal. And the cinematography (by Matthew Libatique) makes the most of the limited VFX budget, meeting the demands of historical and futuristic settings. Overall, original, bold, and moving. I left the film feeling alive.

Rating: 10/10

The Wrestler (2008)

A much-needed career revival for Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler is a surprisingly intimate look at the life of a former star struggling to make a comeback. The real-life parallel is obvious, and Rourke really gives it his all as Randy in a role that demands a lot, both physically and mentally. Like Requiem, The Wrestler explores both the highs and dark lows of stardom, with plenty of uneasy topics explored with sensitivity and empathy for its characters. Randy’s relationships and tribulations are captured with amazing attention to detail (for example, in the scene with the mini convention for fellow washed-up wrestlers, which by all accounts from former WWE stars is painstakingly accurate), and it is to the credit of Aronofsky and writer Robert D. Siegel that by the time the protagonist takes his final jump, I was out of breath at the edge of my seat. A potentially cliched plot spun into a flawless character-based drama, the culmination of top talent each performing at their best.

Rating: 10/10

Black Swan (2010)

A ballerina (Natalie Portman) embraces her darker side when she is selected to play both the White and the Dark Swan in a production of Swan Lake. Sharing many thematic and superficial similarities with Satoshi Kon’s Perfect Blue (1997), Black Swan sees Aronofsky lean into the horror genre more heavily than ever before. The tension, score, and moody lighting evoke a classic psychological horror flick à la Repulsion (1965) and The Shining (1980). Like Pi, the protagonist, Nina, is consumed with obsession, and like The Wrestler, she confronts her own mortality when she accepts the threat of being replaced by younger talent. The dance scenes are dizzyingly beautiful and it is evident that great care has been given into recreating the play experience for filmgoers. Aronofsky strikes a masterful balance between drama and scares, while Portman makes for a likeable yet compellingly flawed protagonist seeking perfection.

Rating: 9.5/10

Noah (2014)

The classic biblical story from the book of Genesis is given the blockbuster treatment. Russell Crowe plays the titular character with gusto and is fully believable as a hulk of a man being tested by an unearthly disaster. While some liberties are taken with the source material, there is not a single scene that does not inspire awe and wonder. Aronofsky breaks new ground with the scale and tone of his filmmaking, and some of the results are jaw-dropping. With a larger VFX budget to play around with, compared to The Fountain, the flood scenes truly show what he is capable of when given free rein. Still, Aronofsky never forgets to put character first, and the relationships between Noah, his family, and God are cleverly rooted amidst the visual chaos. Most importantly, the film manages to feel big and fun, which was starting to feel increasingly rare for other tentpole films at the time of its release.

Rating: 9/10

mother! (2017)

A couple (Jennifer Lawrence, Javier Bardem) experience increasingly strange events when a mysterious man (Ed Harris) arrives at their isolated bungalow. Like Requiem, a relatively normal first half is replaced with a surreal horror film by the end. Once again, the camerawork, scene composition, and pacing are all to be admired. By this point in his career, Aronofsky is able to build unbearable tension with ease. However, as fine as the film is, this was the first Aronofsky that I struggled to love. Themes of gender roles and age are hinted at as we get in the rhythm of the main couple, but as events grow increasingly bizarre, it is difficult to anchor any of them onto anything real. Perhaps some viewers were able to get the biblical allusions straight away, but I will admit that I would not have ‘got it’ if not for some post-watch Googling. Regardless, it toes a fine line between pretentiousness and genius. The final result is a blend between Hitchcock, the Bible, and Rosemary’s Baby (1968), and that may be reason enough to check it out.

Rating: 6.5/10

To find out where Darren Aronofsky’s films can currently be watched, just search for each of them here. mother! (2017) can currently be watched on Stan, Noah (2014) on Stan and Netflix and Prime Video, Black Swan (2010) on Disney +, The Wrestler (2008) through a variety of digital rental services and stores, The Fountain (2006) on Disney+ and SBS On Demand, Requiem for a Dream (2000) on Stan and Netflix, and Pi (1998) on Stan. An 8K restoration of Pi is also set for release digitally and on Blu-ray later this year.

To read Jordan’s thoughts on Aronofsky’s latest film meanwhile, check out his review of The Whale (2022), in cinemas now, here.