Perfect Blue | The Film That Inspired Aronofsky in Requiem for a Dream and Black Swan

Coming Soon: House of Gucci, Film Starring Lady Gaga Attack On Titan: Second Part of Anime Gets Trailer and Release Date     The 1997 Japanese animation written by Sadayuki Murai and directed by Satoshi Kon becomes an important element in the composition of two of his major works. That's why, now get to know Perfect Blue, the film that inspired Aronofsky in Requiem for a Dream and Black Swan.     Perfect Blue tells the story of Mima Kirigoe, a member of a famous and charismatic women's pop music group called "CHAM!". At a certain point in her career, she decides to explore new horizons, under the guidance of her managers, becoming an actress. This fact is not well received by some of her fans, who begin to criticize her. Facts such as the presence of a strange individual who begins to stalk her, the emergence of a website reporting Mima's routine written by someone impersonating her begin to haunt her. The pressure of succeeding in a new area causes her to accept subjecting herself to more sensual and aggressive scenes, making her internal chaos even more intense. The fictional plot she acts in is about a mysterious killer that the police try to capture titled 'Double Bind'. As her story progresses, Mima confuses fantasy and reality, even leading her to question her own sanity.    

Requiem for a Dream

  It was for Requiem for a Dream that Aronofsky purchased the rights to Perfect Blue to reproduce the famous bathtub scene, in which Jennifer Connelly curses submerged underwater.    

Black Swan

  For Black Swan, Perfect Blue presents far more similarities than Aronofsky himself admits. The protagonist confuses fantasy with reality, demands too much of herself, and commits insanities due to her lack of control over what is or isn't real. At certain moments, the frames look very similar to the animation. The viscerality is also a trademark of both Perfect Blue and Black Swan.     Perfect Blue won in the Best Asian Film category at the Fantasia Film Festival in 1997, as well as winning Fantasporto in the Best Animation category in 1998, and was nominated for the Golden Reel Award in 2000. The saga is based on the novel of the same name by Yoshikazu Takeuchi. With elements of gore, Perfect Blue is a latent and visceral psychological thriller with a surprising ending, much like Paprika is to Inception.     For those who like to know the references, it's worth checking out.