P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Requiem For A Dream (2000)
Drug addiction has an insidious way of invading a person's life. Various substances can provide hope, epiphanies, happiness, ecstasy, peace, that you wonder how you were able to live without them before. Soon though, before you're even able to comprehend how you got there, you find yourself in the center of a black hole, spinning violently out of control. The drugs' early magic is now working against you, you lose a sense of yourself, your passion for life, your connections with others. What was once something of a support group, is now a group of bullies encircling you, laughing at you as you are brought to your knees and they overcome you, trying as hard as they can to stop you from getting back up.
The four characters at the beginning of Requiem for a Dream are living in the calm before the storm. Yes, they are drug users, but they have other hopes and ambitions for their lives. Marion, Harry, and Tyrone at first seem to be in control of things, even as in the background their fates are slowly taking a turn from which they may never be able to come back from. Then there is Harry's mother Sara, old and alone, friendly with her neighbors, loving of her son. Her life has all but passed her at this point, so her fantasy to be on her favorite infomercial is her only escape, and will be the catalyst to her downfall. Especially after she's been prescribed dieting medication so that she can slim down enough to get into her favorite red dress.
If Aronofsky proved a striking new talent with Pi, then Requiem For A Dream cemented his place as one of America's most exciting of filmmakers. Using every tool in the cinematic tool box he seduces the viewer with the films flashy style before dropping the viewer into an unforgettable abyss that seems designed to leave a person in the fetal position by the end. From repetitious montages, manic but effective editing, amplified sound design, slow motion and fast motion, incredible cinematography, Clint Mansell's classic next-level original score, and enough horrifying visuals to leave one shaken and queasy, it'd be hard pressed to not feel somewhat affected by the results. This is an intense film, extreme in content, but never tasteless or pointless. Drug addiction is not a fun experience, and Aronofsky does everything he can to appropriately convey this message. There are scenes of humanity at its most degrading, desperate, and depressing, and yet you can not once take your eyes off the screen. It's electric film making.
Roger Ebert said in his review of the film, “Anyone under 17 who is thinking of experimenting with drugs might want to see this movie, which plays like a travelogue of hell.” and I couldn't agree more. Even if at the same time, it didn't stop me, but fortunately I was able to pull myself out of it in time. But I digress.
Finally, the four performances here are brilliant if heartbreaking. The way in which Jennifer Connelly portrays Marion's soul slowly evaporating throughout the film, until she is nothing but a hollow shell, is quietly haunting. Marlon Wayans easily gives his best performance of his career, making one wonder where he could have gone had he pursued more challenging and dramatic material. Leto is also without fault as a good hearted boy in the body of man, before losing himself as well. But above all else is Ellen Burstyn as Sara, in a tour-de-force and fearless performance. The fact she lost her Oscar, and most of her awards, to Julia Roberts in Erin Brokovich continues to baffle me (though had she campaigned for supporting, it probably would have brought her her second Oscar). She is transcendent and earth shattering as the loneliest of woman, without her husband and her son, in a monotonous lonely existence. This is real earth-shattering acting, you wish to save this women as she comes face to face with an all-consuming monster she was neither prepared to fight or even aware of. It's a breathtaking performance, and a career highlight from one of cinemas finest actresses.
Requiem for a Dream is a masterpiece of persuasion and immersion. Not or the weak of stomach or heart, but absolutely essential viewing for any lover of cinema. A free fall into a hellish nightmare that you will never, ever, forget.
4 out of 4