Perfection
Perfection is one of the main themes of the film in that Nina is in one of the most highly competitive positions in the world as she competes to be prima ballerina. She obsesses over everything she eats, drinks and only thinks of her performance. We see that the "perfection" Nina achieves at the end of the film is from her hard work as well as her finally letting go.
Paranoia
Paranoia is a theme embodied by Nina. She lives each day with the fear that she isn't good enough as she has yet to prove herself to the world's stage. This paranoia grows into hallucinations that she has in her preparation for playing the dual role in Swan Lake. She begins to believe Lily is after her and has lucid visions and experiences that seem to wreck her belief as to what is real and what isn't.
The World of Ballet
This film reveals the stresses, anxieties, fears that are part of the world of ballet. The competitiveness of the ballerinas against one another, and the desire to find perfection through hard, very hard work and discipline while learning to let go at the same time. It shows the unbalanced life that these artists lead for their art.
