10 Ways Darren Aronofsky Basically Remade The Wrestler In Black Swan

7. Injury Through Performance

High-intensity performers such as wrestlers and dancers see their fair share of injuries in their profession, and there are plenty of cringe, hide-behind-your-hand moments here. Both pictures exhibit the highs and lows performance artists experience; the lows being the physical toll it takes on the human body. The Wrestler is unflinching, not shying away from the carnage of hardcore matches that the legendary Rob Van Dam and Mick Foley would be proud of. At one point, an opponent asks Randy if he's okay with staples, when he should have been asking if we were okay with staples - not only do we see the bloody turn of events inside the ring, but also the aftermath, with Randy spending time with paramedics to remove the stationary from his chest and arms, while the other has a dollar-bill planted to his forehead. In Black Swan, Nina also spends time on the emergency table, with diaphragm irregularities and recurring foot troubles - it comes in the job description, but it did not stop the audience gasping in horror at the sight of a split toenail.