 | Requiem for a Dream Starring: Ellen Burstyn, Jared Leto, Jennifer Connelly, Marlon Wayans |
"Requiem for A Dream" is an unsettling, disturbing film. Perhaps the most powerfully provocative film on drug addiction ever made. I left the theatre literally shaking and fighting a pounding migraine! Director Aronofsky not only lets his main characters spiral into hell but he brutalises the audience as well. So then, why watch it? Two reasons. If there is any sense of justice or fairness within The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, 67 year old Ellen Burstyn can start dusting off her mantle for she has already won the Oscar. There may be an equally outstanding performance yet to come, but there will be none to top her role as Sara Goldfarb! I fear rioting in the streets of Hollywood if she doesn't win. The second reason to view this grim, dark tale is that Aronofsky has such a stunning command of the cinematic art that he has turned this film into a masterpiece. His artistry compels one to view the horrible descent of his characters while, in reality, you want to run screaming from the theatre. He pulls out all the stops! Split screen, fisheye lens, increasing playback speed, gritty photography, pulsating violins, and amazing use of sound effects. He even straps the camera to his actor's backs. Thanks to the perfectly timed editing of Jay Rabinowitz these effects flow well to enhance the power of the film without the viewer feeling manipulated. As one reviewer has already stated, "Requiem for a Dream" is a work of art! Sara Goldfarb (Burstyn) is a lonely widow, addicted to TV Quiz shows, living in the run down surroundings of Coney Island. Her son, Harry (Leto) and his girlfriend, Marion (Connelly), are recreational junkies. Harry and his best friend, Ty (Wayans), have dreams of becoming big time drug dealers, while Harry's girlfriend has a dream of becoming a famous dress designer. Sara's dream is to appear on her favourite quiz show. When she receives a phone call informing her that she might be chosen to appear, she goes to a quack doctor to lose weight and begins taking diet pills. She becomes obsessed with losing weight to fit into her special red dress. She also becomes horribly addicted to the pills. Harry, Marion, and Ty began to increase their use of heroin. This is just the beginning of the film. We are forced to watch, in detail, as Sara, Harry, Marion and Ty descend into the ravages of drug addition and eventually their doom. Requiem is not a film for the faint of heart. The horrors you will see will not easily be forgotten. I doubt seriously that you will ever forget "Requiem for a Dream," yet it is truly an artistic triumph! One would like to think that the film would receive a nomination yet I don't see the academy warming to this one. |