The Construction of The Meaning of "Perfection" in The Narrative of Darren Aronofsky's Film "Black Swan"

Nuh Izzatur Khair; Khaerudin Imawan; Welly Wihayati

doi:10.63922/ijeter.v4i03.6130

Nuh Izzatur Khair Universitas Swadaya Gunung Jati, Cirebon, Jawa Barat, Indonesia
Khaerudin Imawan Universitas Swadaya Gunung Jati, Cirebon, Jawa Barat, Indonesia
Welly Wihayati Universitas Swadaya Gunung Jati, Cirebon, Jawa Barat, Indonesia

DOI: https://doi.org/10.63922/ijeter.v4i03.6130

Keywords: Film, Meaning Construction, Semiotics

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the construction of the meaning of “perfection” in the narative of the film Black Swan (2010), directed by Darren Aronofsky. The study employs a qualitative text analysis method grounded in Roland Barthes’s semiotic theory, which encompasses denotative, connotative, and mythical meanings. Research data were obtained through observation of scenes in the film, analysis documents from previous studies and academic sources, interviews with informants who had watched Black Swan, and a sample of comments from the film review community sites IMDb and Letterboxd. Data validity was tested using methodological triangualtion. The results indicate that at the denotative level, the meaning of “perfection” is represented through bodily discipline, self-control, and technical skill in the world of ballet. At the connotative level, perfection is interpreted as a form of obsession, identity conflict, and psychological pressure experienced by Nina, leading to her psychological disintegration. Meanwhile, at the mythical level, perfection is constructed as a cultural ideology that normalizes suffering and sacrifice in the pursuit of a specific ideal standart. This study consludes that the meaning of “perfect” in the film Black Swan is contradictory because, on the one hand, it is viewed as the highest achievement, yet on the othe hand, it ultimately leads to destruction of the identity of Nina Sayers, the film’s protagonist.

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