Richard’s Corner

To say that “Requiem for a Dream” is not a film for everyone would be an understatement. Darren Aronofsky, the acclaimed director of Pi, has given us a film that will repulse many with it’s explicit and brutal depictions of sex and drug abuse, yet somehow it does so without being distasteful. If you are able to stomach the extreme nature of this film, you will walk away with a very powerful message.

To effectively tell this story, it was necessary for Aronofsky to humanize his characters, which he does magnificently. Through the use of varying film speeds, extreme closeups and erratic film cuts, he successfully immerses the audience in a world of drug addiction. Through this form, Aronofsky is able to simulate the feeling of escape and relief that Harry (Jered Leto), Tyrone (Marlon Wayans) and Marion (Jennifer Connelly) feel when they finally get their beloved heroine fix. However, as the film progresses, we also see first-hand how quickly this lifestyle can spin out of control and into utter desperation and helplessness.

With the character of Sara (Ellen Burstyn), Hubert Selby Jr. (the writer) is making more of a statement about our society in general. While most people cannot relate with heroine addicts, they can empathize with Sara. Sara is addicted to sugar and television, and later obesses over regaining her youth and losing weight. When she is prescribed diet medication by an irresponsible doctor, she quickly becomes addicted and ends up trapped in a downward spiral that closely mirrors that of her heroine addicted son, Harry.

While the final montage is horribly difficult to watch, it is necessary for closure. It is in these final moments that we realize just how far these people have fallen. It is obvious that people who claim this movie “glorifies drug use” have not seen these final moments.

With “Pi” and “Requiem for a Dream” under his belt, Aronofsky has proven to be quite the auteur. His films are riveting , and beg repeated viewings despite their disturbing content.