Requiem For A Dream critiqued by Isaac Adlowitz and Robbie McCormac
What is one of the most dangerous habits currently affecting people all over the world? Drug addiction. No one really wants to elaborate about this subject because it is either too personal for people to address, or they simply do not think that it can affect somebody that they love and care about. In Darren Aronofsky’s haunting film “Requiem for a Dream” these problems are showcased to give the audience the perspective of people whose lives have been and affected others due to their addictions, and also see these addicts as actual human beings who have become misguided at some point in their lives.
Requiem for a Dream has a bigger picture to it, too. The film wants to speak to this generation before it’s too late. It shows the horrors of drug addiction. When we first meet the protagonist Harry Goldfarb (Jared Leto), he is in his mother's apartment, stealing her TV, in effort to bring it to a nearby pawn shop in exchange for heroin money. Harry’s true sadness and addiction becomes much clearer when we see his mother Sara Goldfarb (Ellen Burstyn) buying back the TV like it is part of her daily routine.
Requiem for a Dream is almost a guide to life in how it displays drug addiction. It shines light onto dark subject matter such as depression, loneliness, and substance abuse. Darren Aronofsky superbly shows all of these through his many camera angles, fast paced edited shots, and exaggerated sound effects. Each of these facets of the production provide the audience with twists and turns to put them inside the mind of someone who is under the tight grasp of a narcotic. They also show us what each character desires, perceives, and is frightened by; making each character feel more human. The film’s distorted audio complements the different camera angles by expediting certain activities as if they were being done in the perspective of a drug addict. Another interesting aspect is that the movie focuses on each characters’ dilating pupils after they have consumed a narcotic showing how quickly the drug takes effect on the user.
One unique aspect of Requiem for a Dream’s plot is that the two main characters and the two supporting characters are all drug addicts. It documents the peaks and valleys of addiction from multiple perspectives, and puts strong emphasis on the plummeting toll drug addiction has over the course of someone’s life. It shows some of the pinnacles from each of the characters’ lives as they unravel into who the characters aspire to become, and who the characters have actually become. Both of these represent how the drugs have become a distraction and are a priority for each of the characters.
Requiem for a Dream is rated NC-17 meaning it should not be viewed by anyone under the age of eighteen, but it would suffice very well to steer kids away from drug usage. In fact if schools were to implement the showing of this film to all students in their health classes its effect could likely be much greater than that of the D.A.R.E. program, in persuading kids to not experiment with drugs.
Requiem for a Dream has a bigger picture to it, too. The film wants to speak to this generation before it’s too late. It shows the horrors of drug addiction. When we first meet the protagonist Harry Goldfarb (Jared Leto), he is in his mother's apartment, stealing her TV, in effort to bring it to a nearby pawn shop in exchange for heroin money. Harry’s true sadness and addiction becomes much clearer when we see his mother Sara Goldfarb (Ellen Burstyn) buying back the TV like it is part of her daily routine.
Requiem for a Dream is almost a guide to life in how it displays drug addiction. It shines light onto dark subject matter such as depression, loneliness, and substance abuse. Darren Aronofsky superbly shows all of these through his many camera angles, fast paced edited shots, and exaggerated sound effects. Each of these facets of the production provide the audience with twists and turns to put them inside the mind of someone who is under the tight grasp of a narcotic. They also show us what each character desires, perceives, and is frightened by; making each character feel more human. The film’s distorted audio complements the different camera angles by expediting certain activities as if they were being done in the perspective of a drug addict. Another interesting aspect is that the movie focuses on each characters’ dilating pupils after they have consumed a narcotic showing how quickly the drug takes effect on the user.
One unique aspect of Requiem for a Dream’s plot is that the two main characters and the two supporting characters are all drug addicts. It documents the peaks and valleys of addiction from multiple perspectives, and puts strong emphasis on the plummeting toll drug addiction has over the course of someone’s life. It shows some of the pinnacles from each of the characters’ lives as they unravel into who the characters aspire to become, and who the characters have actually become. Both of these represent how the drugs have become a distraction and are a priority for each of the characters.
Requiem for a Dream is rated NC-17 meaning it should not be viewed by anyone under the age of eighteen, but it would suffice very well to steer kids away from drug usage. In fact if schools were to implement the showing of this film to all students in their health classes its effect could likely be much greater than that of the D.A.R.E. program, in persuading kids to not experiment with drugs.