How does it feel to be a victim of your own addictions?

Author's Rating:

Pros: Performances, visuals, direction, and thematic content.

Cons: Why haven't more people seen this film?

The Bottom Line: 
Unflinching - unforgivable - unforgettable. One of the boldest films ever made. Great performances coupled with striking visuals and astute direction make Requiem for a Dream a winner.

Author's Review
I am still trembling right now as I attempt to write a review of Requiem for a Dream. My mind is reeling at this very moment as I think about how much I pity those characters and how I feel remorse for what they are going through. Frankly, one of the toughest responsibilities of being a film critic is not letting your emotions get the better of you because according to my film theory professor, this shows that you are easily manipulated by what you see. Instead, it is the responsibility of a critic to analyze a movie from a more judicious standpoint rather than a sentimental one.

Suffice to say, I am unable to properly write a review of Requiem for a Dream without expressing how this film has twisted my emotions. Although I plan to talk about the filmmaker’s machinations, I am more interested in talking about how Requiem for a Dream has affected me personally. In any case, Requiem for a Dream is truly mesmerizing cinema at its finest. Director Darren Aronofsky (Pi) does a hell of a job crafting a hard-hitting and emotionally devastating masterpiece that gets you, the viewer, involved with the plight of the main characters thanks to some unforgettable imagery and poignant performances from the cast.


Plot
This is a story about drugs...and how they gradually consume the lives of four individuals. Throughout the course of three separate seasons (Summer, Fall, and Winter) in one year, we witness the brutal erosion of these characters as they succumb to their own, virtually lustful drug cravings. Meet Harry Goldfarb (Jared Leto, Fight Club), just a regular guy raised in Brooklyn who—as seen right from the beginning—is stealing his own mother’s television in an attempt to sell it for some dirty drug money. Harry’s girlfriend is the beautiful Marion (Jennifer Connelly, Phenomena, Dark City), who has aspirations of being a designer and opening her own clothing store. Both Harry and Marion hope to live the ultimate fairy tale life together. Unfortunately, both Harry and Marion are compulsive heroin addicts. Comedian Marlon Wayans sheds his jocular Scary Movie image as Harry’s best friend and drug business partner, Tyrone. Both Harry and Tyrone are aspiring drug entrepreneurs who have yet to accomplish the big score. These three characters spend much of their time shooting up and indulging in their own drug habits.

The fourth main character and the true star of Requiem for a Dream is Harry’s mother, Sara Goldfarb (Ellen Burstyn, The Exorcist), a widowed and overweight television addict who does not have much of a life. She spends most of her waning days watching a twisted game show hosted by one Tappy Tibbons (Christopher McDonald, Best of the Best 3) who constantly shouts, “We got a winner!” One day, Sara receives a phone call claiming that she has an opportunity to appear on her favorite show with Tappy Tibbons. Motivated by her chance to appear on national television, Sara decides to go on a crash course diet so that she can fit into her beloved red dress. She even gets her friend to help dye her hair red (though it obviously looks orange) in a pitiful attempt to restore her youthfulness.

In order for Sara to lose her weight at an even faster pace, she decides to visit a doctor who is, let’s put it this way, shady. The doctor advises her to take several “diet pills” in the course of a day so that the extra weight will vanish. What the shady old doc neglect to mention is that those so-called “diet pills” are much more lethal with other adverse effects. At first, Sara naively thinks that those diet pills have helped her lose the extra weight…but she eventually begins to grow an addiction for them…an addiction that frighteningly parallels the drug addictions of the other three characters.

As their addictions grow stronger and beyond their control, we watch helplessly in horror as the main characters slowly degrade themselves…


Aronofsky’s Visions...
Based on Hubert Selby Jr.’s novel of the same name, Requiem for a Dream is an extraordinarily profound allegory about our abnormal, habitual drug addictions and the measures we take to satisfy them. While the main message itself is not unique, the way the message is presented is innovative. Sometimes, being merely “preachy” or “high-and-mighty,” and proclaiming, “Drugs are bad, don’t do drugs” is not enough. Instead, Aronofsky wisely opts to show you a first-hand experience of what it feels like to become a victim of your own drug addictions and how this results in such disturbing behavior as self-anguish.

Aronofsky employs a lot of flashy and invigorating camera and editing tricks (similar to what he used in Pi) to tell the stories of four lives and their spiraling descent into their own personal “Hell”. There are a variety of tricks such as the split-screen shot, the slow-motion shot, some sped-up effects, and close-ups for emotional impact. Aronofsky’s use of kinetic editing and unorthodox filming can be described as a stylish visualization of “hip-hop” (even Aronofsky likes to describe his filmmaking style as “hip hop”). Like hip-hop, the smorgasbord of visual techniques and tricks moves in an often very fast paced and energetic rhythm. An example of hip-hop style filmmaking theatrics in Requiem for a Dream is when we see an addict inject him/herself with drugs to experience the much-needed “high”. We see an extreme close-up of the syringe, then we witness the effects of the drug rushing through an addict’s body, and finally, there is the much-spoken pupil dilating. These subliminal images are absolutely bone chilling as we are forced to watch the potency of the drugs invade the human body…

In addition, there are a number of intriguing visual images in Requiem for a Dream which basically symbolize the hallucinatory side-effects of the drugs. The most memorable one is of course, the monstrous refrigerator “threatening” Mrs. Goldfarb. While some people may see some amusement in that image, I just could not laugh. Instead, I found myself petrified at how those “diet pills” can cast a hypnotic spell on an innocent person like her.

Some people may no doubt accuse Aronofsky of prioritizing style over substance, but if you ask me, I have to disagree: he does use a lot of stylish effects, but at the same time, he does not jeopardize substance in the name of style. In fact, if anything, Aronofsky uses style to help substantiate the narrative, to show the toll of drug addiction on the human soul. Director Darren Aronofsky is definitely the master of the film-making technique. He takes a fairly familiar premise and manages to make it seem fresh and vigorous. At the same time, he manages to get his point across.


Shattered “Dreams”...
Requiem for a Dream is more than just an anti-drug campaign. This film is also essentially a “Tragic Opera”, a story that does not believe in “happy endings”. As mentioned before, Requiem for a Dream is a dark parable. The title could not be more fitting for this is a film about unrealized hopes and (pipe) dreams. The characters in Requiem for a Dream are so caught up in their ideal dreams, hopes, and fantasies that they forget about the fact that their lives are—to put it bluntly—ugly. All of the characters in Requiem for a Dream share a common characteristic…they all have high hopes and pipe dreams; they want it all. However, what happens when your pipe dreams turn into compulsive obsessions?

Take for example, Sara Goldfarb. She constantly has these pipe dreams of losing weight and being on television. She also has her hair dyed a different color. Frankly, Sara is doing all this because she is unable to cope with her age. Sadly, the steps she takes to fulfill her pipe dreams are—to put it kindly—pathetic. After taking “diet pills” for several days, her life takes a turn for the worse. She becomes so obsessed with what she wants she practically forgets to take care of herself. Her health deteriorates, her sanity diminishes (just listen as her teeth clatter), and her hallucinations get the better of her (in one such instance, she witnesses the characters from the Tappy Tibbons television show come to life). Her delusions of grandeur as a figure appearing on national television are also eating her soul. Sara’s story is no doubt the most powerful, for it also reminds us that sometimes, we look for easy answers to solve our problems. Sometimes, we rely too much on other people to make our decisions as opposed to listening to our own instincts.

Let us briefly examine the other three main characters. Harry and Tyrone are so obsessed with their pipe dreams of being successful in the drug business that they do not realize they are putting their own lives in jeopardy. As the famous saying goes, “Everything has a way of coming back to haunt you.” The drug-running and drug-consuming days of Harry and Tyrone will result in unimaginable punitive consequences for these guys. Marion herself has had hopes of opening her own successful clothing design store, but once she becomes an addict, she forfeits her hopes and instead exploits her own body (like a sex slave) for some cash…

All these characters share similar problems with compulsive obsessions and addictions. The predicaments they are all going through reminds me of an REM song, “Everybody Hurts.” The characters all have separate lives but they are ironically walking the same disastrous path to the same destination. Ultimately, I think that one of the most important messages in Requiem for a Dream is that there is nothing wrong with having dreams…just do not let them become the focal point of your life.


Performances
The performances in Requiem for a Dream are without a doubt, exceptional. Jared Leto gives a very credible performance as an addict whose main goal is to score high. But believe or not, there are moments when Leto shows an unexpected sensitive side. One scene is when Leto’s character, Harry is visiting his mother and realizes how different she looks. Then when he begins to suspect her eccentric behavior, he questions what she has been doing. Whether Harry was really sincere or not, I could not help but be moved by how he showed concern for his mother. Jennifer Connelly is wonderful as the magnetic and radiant Marion. What is truly stunning though is how her beauty never seems to fade away…even when she is consumed in her addictions. However, underneath her beautiful façade is a delicate soul who is easily manipulated. Marlon Wayans also turned in a fine performance as Tyrone. He shows a serious side of him that demonstrates his ability to play characters beyond his stereotypical jack-@$$.

The one true actress who shines in Requiem for a Dream is obviously Ellen Burstyn as Sara. Out of the four main characters, Sara is the most compelling and gripping individual, and most of the film’s screen time is devoted to her so a lot of burden does fall on Burstyn’s shoulders. Movie buffs will not likely recognize Ellen Burstyn because she is wearing prosthetics in order to immerse herself in the role as Sara from the “outside in”. In any case, Ellen Burstyn gives an absolutely searing performance as a woman addicted to diet pills. The transformation of Sara from a benign elderly lady to a pathetic-looking, hallucinating diet pill addict is staggering. Burstyn is absolutely courageous for tackling that role and she earns my full compliments. She gives a complex and multi-layered performance which is a testament to her gifts as a genuine actress.

An example of Ellen Burstyn’s gift as a genuine actress lies in one of the most memorable speeches delivered in this film. Her character talks to her son about her chance to be recognized as a “somebody” and how she wants to seize the opportunity to be seen by “millions of people” on national television. She basically talks about her reasons to live to the fullest.

You have to listen to the speech yourself to fully appreciate how moving and surprisingly tear-jerking it sounds. I could not imagine another actress who could have done a better job delivering that speech with such sincerity and fiery conviction. This is method acting at its paramount. Ellen Burstyn should have won an Oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Role for this remarkable performance. Sorry Julia Roberts, but cleavage is no substitute for solid acting.

Errata and A Few Personal Thoughts
The problem with many movies these days is that they forget about character development. Most of the characters we see in film nowadays are fabricated stereotypes. What I like about Requiem for a Dream (among many attributes) is the fact that it is truly a character-driven film. The plot itself is less important than the characters. Instead, Requiem for a Dream takes the time to develop the main characters into flesh and blood human beings with personalities. The superlative performances only helped in developing these characters.

Are we expected to show commiseration for these characters? Whether the answer is yes or no, I have to confess that I found myself empathizing with these characters, or better yet… people. Why? I saw these characters as real people whom I can relate to in a way. Like them, I am a dreamer, and like them, sometimes I let my dreams and high hopes cloud my mind and distract me from reality.

On another note, there are a number of images in this movie which have strongly played with my emotions. When I saw the aftermath of Harry’s arm after severe drug dosage, I grimaced at the gruesome image, but at the same time I felt sorry for what he went through. When I witnessed Sara struggling to get a grip on herself, I felt her grief. In other words, I actually cared about them. Frankly, it is tough not to get emotionally attached. Even after my viewing experience was over, I can still feel for them. I just could not help it...

The verisimilitude is what makes Requiem for a Dream pack such a powerful punch. Although the drug addiction aspect of the film does not affect me personally, I have known people in real life who behave like these characters. I have known peers who act erratic and neurotic as a result of their compulsive drug habits. As reiterated, Requiem for a Dream does a brutal and accurate job of showing the gut-wrenching effects of drug abuse.

I consider Requiem for a Dream to be a horror film in the truest sense. Truthfully, this film frightened the hell out of me as its dosages of harsh reality completely overwhelmed my senses. Forget “urban legends,” or “the Bogeyman”, Requiem for a Dream is the stuff that real nightmares are made of. I should also comment on the musical score by Clint Manshell and the Kronos Quartet. It establishes the bleak mood of the movie perfectly. You can hear the violins raging with fervor...music that reinforces the horror in this film.


Final Thoughts and Caveats
Requiem for a Dream is arguably one of the best films of 2000 thanks to the great combination of powerful performances, amazing direction, robust visuals, and the thought-provoking thematic content. It takes a bold and talented filmmaker to make a movie like Requiem for a Dream. Darren Aronofsky is successful in creating a forceful meditation on how addictions affect people’s lives. Still, Requiem for a Dream indubitably deserves a wider audience. If you ask me, not enough people have witnessed this work of art.

If you do plan on seeing Requiem for a Dream, let me warn you, not since Trainspotting have I seen a film which draws such a vile portrait of human decadence due to drug addictions. The camera does not hesitate in showing you the graphic depiction of drug use…and the aftermath. While this film is impossible to watch at times, you may find yourself unable to turn away. You will be amazed at the kinetic energy of the hallucinatory and intoxicating imagery. Nevertheless, Requiem for a Dream is overall a harrowing and horrific experience which will no doubt upset many of you. However, keep in mind that the purpose of Requiem for a Dream is NOT to make us feel happy; on the contrary, its intention is to make us feel uneasy. Requiem for a Dream is cold and alienating; this film makes no attempts to lift our spirits up whatsoever.

Most movies these days (such as Trainspotting) use humor as a cushion, a way to lighten the tone. However, Requiem for a Dream eschews the use of humor. You may find yourself chucking maybe a couple of times, but frankly, the content in this movie is no laughing matter. As a matter of fact, I hope that watching Requiem for a Dream will teach you how serious and detrimental drug addictions are. Hopefully, this film will deter you from even thinking about using drugs.

Ultimately, three words aptly describe Requiem for a Dream: unflinching, unforgivable, and unforgettable. This is one “Dream” which will linger in your thoughts well after you wake up.