After a psychotic break backstage—where she believes she stabbed her rival, Lily, in a jealous rage—Nina (Natalie Portman) takes the stage for the final act of Swan Lake . In her delirium, she realizes the truth: she did not stab Lily.
Interpretations of the ending fall into three distinct camps: cisne negro final
Some argue Nina never actually stabbed herself. The mirror shard and the blood are hallucinations. In this reading, she is simply passing out from exhaustion and stress. The "perfection" she feels is a schizophrenic delusion right before she collapses. The white light represents her escape into permanent psychosis. After a psychotic break backstage—where she believes she