Did somebody say daddy issues? With both films, Aronofsky constructs very delicate parent-child relationships - something akin to a house of cards that could tip at any moment. Nina's mother is overbearing and possessive, reluctant to let her leave the house; an eye firmly placed on her daughter's career. It is a career she was unable to have due to pregnancy, and this could explain her pushy behaviour. But nobody looks fondly on those mothers from Toddlers in Tiaras do they? Her invasiveness creates a boundary between the two, and while she desperately tries to cling to her child, she only succeeds in pushing her away. For Randy, he pushed his daughter away years ago. Instead, his story sees him try to get back in touch with Stephanie (Evan Rachel Wood) after his heart attack. She reluctantly accepts, but Randy blotches his last attempt at reconciliation when he misses dinner with her. This relationship is not one of an overprotective parent, but one that was never there and Aronofsky examines the fallout of such a situation; particularly evident in Randy's obliviousness to Stephanie's implied lesbian relationship. What do you think? Is Aronofsky an auteur with a very distinct - albeit obvious - style? Can Black Swan and The Wrestler be seen as a double-feature, intended to go hand-in-hand with one another? Or has he cheated the system and served us a second helping of the same meal? Let me know your thoughts down below.
