Requiem for a Dream: Aronofsky's Creative Illustration of Drugs, Self Destruction & Jennifer Connelly Naked

Author's Rating:

Pros: Aronofsky's brilliant direction, piercing score, Ellen Burstyn

Cons: Difficult viewing

The Bottom Line: 
Requiem for a Dream is among my all time classics. Creative camerawork, a chilling score and Oscar worthy performances combine to hard hitting effect.

Author's Review
Requiem for a Dream (2000)
Directed by: Darren Aronofsky
Starring: Ellen Burstyn, Jared Leto, Jennifer Connelly, Marlon Wayans

There could hardly have been a better movie to kick off the millennium and define the 21st century than “Requiem for a Dream.” Some might call it the definitive movie of the hip-hop generation. I’m not much of a hip-hop fan, but in my opinion the movie is a modern day classic.

“Requiem for a Dream” could hardly be called a feel-good movie. It runs in the opposite direction. Broken into three chapters – summer, fall, winter – the movie follows four lives as they start out bright and optimistic and gradually spiral towards pessimistic doom. The central theme is drugs and the effect they take over our subjects lives. But more precisely it’s about the naïve pursuit of the American dream.

First up is Sara Goldfarb (Ellen Burstyn), a lonely elderly widow who’s hooked on television and chocolate. One day she gets a call informing her that she’s going to appear on her favorite show. She becomes the focal interest of all the neighbors, getting her hair fixed and intent on fitting into the red dress she wore to her son’s graduation starts taking diet pills.

Second is her son Harry (Jared Leto), who’s a heroin addict along with his girlfriend Marion (Jennifer Connelly). Harry and Marion look like an attractive young couple in love. They have plans of opening up a fashion store. Along with buddy Tyrone (Marlon Wayans) they start dealing as well as using and things look on the up. It’s not long however before the drugs start to catch up with all of our subjects and gradually control their fates.

“Requiem for a Dream” depicts drugs in a way that no other movie did before it. It’s often graphic and gratuitous, which might seem a little romanticized or glamorized at times. This might be the case early on, but essentially is just the enticing lure that kicks off the hellish nightmare. Drug inducement is often shown in close detail and this is definitely not one for the squeamish and will probably hit a little too close to the nerve for anyone who’s ever been there. It’s here though that Aronofsky (he was still a relative unknown here delivering his sophomore effort) shows his great skill as a director. He delivers the drug taking scenes in a series of fast-paced montages that are highly imaginative.

Camera work is especially brilliant throughout. One admirable technique is the regular use of split screens, often displaying two characters in the same scene. But the real magic is in the way he captures the subjectivity of each character. Some directors have done this most effectively through point of view camerawork, but Aronofsky simultaneously makes you an outside observer of the character as well as feeling their dizzying disorientation, discomfort and nausea. The sharp stringed score is also brilliant. Originally written for the movie, it has been heavily used elsewhere. Together with the pacing of scenes it has quite an impact. Early in the movie scenes are long and the score is mild and relaxed. However as the fates of each character spirals out of control the scenes switch sharp and fast and the music heightens to a crescendo. It really gives you the goose bumps.

Performances are exceptional. Jared Leto and Jennifer Connelly perfectly illustrate the way that two attractive young people can really lose control of themselves. Their frail looks towards the end makes me think that they must have lost weight and then shot the movie in reverse. They seem bright and harmonious at first, and we see the strains and preoccupation of their habit eventually take a tighter grip. Many will remember this for Connelly’s extremely risky sexual scenes – you have no idea of the ways girls can be manipulated within this business – but you should also pay attention to the way she portrays the self-loathing before eventually finding comfort in what she does. Marlon Wayans also proves that he’s much more than a comedian.

While everyone else is strong, the sensation and more innocent nightmare comes from Ellen Burstyn. Initially she finds her comfort in chocolate and television before getting hooked on the diet pills. Again Aronofsky brilliantly uses the camera, pacing and surreal scenes to illustrate her loss of mental control. Burstyn initially does a great job of setting up the awkward loneliness and exaggerated reactions, before battling preoccupation and obsession. It’s in the later scenes as an unknown crazed lady on the subway that she really pushes the limits. It’s one of the greatest pieces of acting I’ve ever seen and has to go down as one of the biggest Oscar snubs (Julia Roberts won for Erin Brockovich).

“Requiem for a Dream” is difficult viewing throughout especially so as fate catches up with all of our protagonists. Without explaining the ending, this is a drama that’s as shocking and harrowing as any horror movie you’ll ever see. Critics of the movie have bemoaned its graphic illustrations and frantic pace, but such techniques work perfectly to emphasize the overall feel. It’s highly effective movie making because not only are we observers in these people’s lives, we’re also sucked in to the whole emotional experience. It’s original cinematic artistry in the same way that “Pulp Fiction” was.

Verdict: 5 Stars - A 21st Century Classic