Requiem for a Dream - A Review
Lucas - Film Reporter
Darren Aronofsky’s Requiem for a Dream premiered at Cannes on May 14th 2000 and TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival). Requiem for a Dream received great reviews from critics and audiences alike, it is universally known as one of the best films of the 2000s and one of the most disturbing and hard to watch films made. Requiem for a Dream follows Sara Goldfarb, her son Harry, Harry’s girlfriend Marion and Harry’s friend Tyrone and follows their hopeful dreams being crushed because of their drug addictions. Requiem for a Dream is really one of those films you watch once and never again due to how scarring this really is. Mason Dunmore states that Requiem for a Dream is “one of the best films made, extremely emotional and gives an extreme and realistic look into drug addiction and how it affects people in all ways, 10/10”. Darren Aronofsky is also known as the director of The Whale, Black Swan and many others, however Requiem for a Dream is his best by far.
What Addiction does to People and How it Crushes Dreams.
Sara Goldfarb, played by Ellen Burstyn, is a lonely widow in her old age, she receives a phone call regarding herself on television, this makes her try on her red dress she wore at her son’s graduation, however she cannot fit. Sara decides to go on a diet but her fridge and food temptations are too much, resulting in her inquiring about what one of her friends said - weight loss pills, however these pills are addictive and she gets addicted to them. Sara’s son, Harry played by Jared Leto is an ambitious man with hopeful and successful dreams, however he is a heroin addict and so is his girlfriend Marion played by Jennifer Connelly and Harry’s good friend Tyrone played by Marlon Wayans. Each of them have their own dreams with Sara wanting to be on television, Harry and Marion wanting to open a clothing store and Tyrone wanting to get out of the ‘hood’ life and to make his deceased mother proud. All four of them are fantastic in their roles but Ellen Burstyn is the standout, portraying one of the best acting performances to be put to screen.
What Requiem for a Dream Means.
Requiem for a Dream basically means a memorial service for their dreams, this shows the significance of their dreams gradually becoming unreachable because of their addictions. When Requiem for a Dream came out it was given the NC-17 rating by the MPAA, but was released unrated as the director Darren Aronofsky said that cutting any of the film would just take away from the valuable messages the film beholds. As I stated before, Requiem for a Dream is extremely hard to watch due to the realistic approach it takes to drug addiction and how it can wreck one's life. Although it would never happen, I personally think this should be seen in high schools as it conveys a clear message to stay away from drugs, especially heroin and pills. Requiem for a Dream also contains more than two thousand cuts, while the average film that goes for one hundred minutes, the same length as Requiem for a Dream is about an average of seven hundred. Aronofsky stated that the high amount of camera cuts and quick takes are to really take the audience with our four characters, almost as if you're watching them in real life and mould them into the experience.
Requiem for a Dream - Overall.
Requiem for a Dream is one of the most disturbing and scarring films made, although this is a film everyone must watch at one stage in their lives. Ellen Burstyn’s performance is truly a piece of art, one of the best performances. Wayans, Leto and Connelly all play great roles as well, definitely not your normal Marlon Wayans performance. Requiem for a Dream’s score is probably the most well known part of the film, with most not knowing that Lux Aeterna came from this. The editing of Requiem for a Dream is sharp with many quick cuts, takes and moving photographs exactly like a flipbook. Although, Requiem for a Dream is extremely hard to sit through, the experience of finishing such a piece of art is unmatched. It sends a clear message to of course not take drugs such as heroin and pills. If you just pull through this movie, you will be a changed person and I mean that literally. I give Requiem for a Dream 5 stars!