"Imaginatively evoking the inner landscape of human beings longing to connect, to love and feel loved, the film is a parable of happiness gloriously found and tragically lost. Requiem for a Dream tells parallel stories that are linked by the relationship between the lonely, widowed Sara Goldfarb and her sweet but aimless son, Harry. The plump Sara, galvanized by the prospect of appearing on a TV game show, has started on a dangerous diet regimen to beautify herself for a national audience."
Wow. Based on a 1978 novel of the same name by Hubert Selby, Jr., which was adapted by Selby Jr. and director Darren Aronofsky, Requiem For A Dream is an incredibly dark tragedy about addiction.
The film follows four connected characters; Harry (Jared Leto), his mum (Ellen Burstyn), his girlfriend (Jennifer Connelly), and his best friend (Marlon Wayans) as each of them struggles with their own addictive arc. While Leto, Connelly, and Wayans have rather conventional heroin stories, the real crux of this psychological drama comes from the character of Harry's mother, Sara Goldfarb, whose fall from grace started innocently as an attempt to lose weight to fit into a red dress.
It's Sara's story that really hits home, as it demonstrates effects of addiction in general, not only of drugs, but to media (who doesn't binge watch television series?) and food (who doesn't love their fats, sugars, and takeaways?), and that stark comparison to that of heroin addicts brings the reality that there is no contrast or conflict between them. They are one and the same. A doctor is effectively a legal drug dealer, and the misuse of a prescription drug is no different from that of a junkie.
In what is perhaps one of the most unintentionally effective anti-drug campaigns, Requiem For A Dream is absolutely unapologetic. The story is rather loose, simply following these four characters in their attempts to reach their four respective goals. Organic in its focus, and unrepentant in its recollection, there are no aspects hidden. Nothing glorified. A simple statement of facts and perceptions. Following the characters as they spiral out of control; perfectly conveying the desperation and helplessness to the audience and they justify their behaviour every step along the way.
The cinematography and editing are brilliant; not hiding aspects, but replacing them with shortened quick flash pieces to portray the drug use and the signal the oncoming change in perception which keeps the pace up in this hectic mess of lives. Altering the speed, using awkward warped camera angles, lighting and practical effects, there is an unsettling nature throughout the film that seats itself in the pit of your stomach. Even such a simple idea as a split-screen, to convey the isolation of characters in close proximity to each other, or the frequent focus on mirrors, comparing the external appearance with the tortured internal monologues.
Requiem For A Dream is a well-foreshadowed trainwreck that you just can't look away from. The longer you watch, the deeper they go, and the more shocking it becomes, ensnaring your attention until you see how far it will take you. The intensity of the performances is what catches you off-guard. Long have the media conveyed addicts as often lethargic unmotivated individuals, but here we see the seeds of obsession growing ever prominently creating a manic madness that manifests in a variety of ways.
Requiem For A Dream is about exactly what the title says; it is a funeral for a dream. Compelling performances from Leto, Connelly, and Wayans, and an exemplary and scarring performance from Burstyn. Expect graphic themes of a sexual nature and excessive drug use, but nothing can prepare you for this trip.