Film 36 (9/29/2005)

Requiem for a Dream (2000)

Director: Darren Aronofsky

Recommended by: tonguetiedlightning; D Soler

Has Fentablar seen this before?: No.

Requiem for a Dream is the first Aronofsky film I have seen and I must say that I was very impressed with his directorial style as well as the film's substance. This film is what I would call "tough to watch", because it is rather depressing to watch the crumbling lives of its players - who, I might add, carry out their roles with near perfection to make their characters wholly believable.

The primary theme of Requiem for a Dream is how drug addiction can tear your life apart. It is so effective in carrying this out that the film should really be made part of the curriculum for drug awareness classes. Yet, it's sad to think that so many school boards are so prudish that they would never allow a film like this within 500 yards of their students. This is a shame, because the film's plot is quite clever in showing that drug acquisition comes from more than your stereotypical "dealer-client" transaction - but in any case, the supplier of the drug doesn't seem at all concerned for the welfare of the purchaser, even when the supplier is a practitioner of medicine.

As for the aesthetic of Requiem for a Dream, I was taken aback by two things.

First, Aronofsky's presentation of the actual drug use is phenomenal. Each character has their own sequence, if you will, of how they use their respective drug - marijuana, cocaine, heroine, speed pills. Each sequence is very short, seeming to pass so quickly that you might miss it if you blink - which is what it would feel like to actually use those drugs; the rush seems to end so quickly, leaving you wanting more.

Second, Ellen Burstyn was absolutely astounding as Sara Goldfarb. For me, her performance was the most effective of all, as was her character's tragedy. The idea that Julia Roberts (who won the Oscar for best actress that year) is even capable of a better performance than that of Ellen Burstyn in this film is extremely laughable, and a testament to how poorly misguided the Academy is.

Ratings (scale of 1 to 5):

Plot Effectiveness: 5/5. Drugs are bad. They'll ruin your life. Got it? Good.

Cinematography/Shot Selection: 5/5. Aronofsky has impressed me; I'll be watching more of his films for certain.

Overall Acting: 5/5. Burstyn was the best performance, but everyone was near perfect in this film.

Score/Soundtrack: 5/5. On point.

OVERALL RATING: 5/5

~Fentablar~