Requiem for a Dream Review: Startling and Dark

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Requiem for a Dream is amazing. The movie is absolutely fantastic, and I really enjoyed it. It has a Kubrick feel to it with some modern cinematography to boot. The plot seems odd from the jump, four characters’ lives are shattered by their addictions, but it runs so much deeper than that. The audience gets to witness the highs and the lows, watching the addictions go from exciting, life-altering experiences to crippling issues.

The movie moves at a quick pace, flipping between our 3 young characters and Sara Golfarb. Sara may not seem to fit with the rest of the cast, taking diet pills to lose some weight before going on television, but I thought it was a grounded example of how you don’t have to deal drugs to lose everything to addiction. Harry, Marion, and Tyrone on the other hand showcase how their characters went from optimistic young people to having their lives unravelled.

All four characters are interesting and unique, each having a slightly different backstory to encompass four addiction stories into one. They all react differently as their lives fall apart, and I think different characters are going to resonate with different people. There are a ton of secondary characters, but the story is built to focus directly on our 4 characters so we learn very little about the surrounding cast.

Harry is my favourite in Requiem for a Dream. His character is upbeat and hopeful, and that sticks around a lot longer than I had imagined. He manages to find opportunity in every situation, and he wants to see those around him happy. These same people-pleasing tendencies that make those around him happy end up dragging him further into addiction, attempting to fix everyone’s problems but his own.

The cinematography of Requiem for a Dream is very interesting. Both the audio and the visual aspects are amazing. The audio is used to conjure a tone, using interesting sound effects to add to many scenes. Whether the cast is taking drugs, or doing other things, there seems to be unique sound effects all over the place that kept me engaged.

The visuals on the other hand were also really interesting. Different cuts and movements were used to accent the important part of the shot, as well as some split-screen moments. It’s clear Director Darren Aronofsky knew where he wanted the audience to be looking, and he knew how to direct you there. The fast cuts and odd angles fit the tone and theme of the movie well, adding to the odd vibe of the movie.

I loved the different images that flashed each time the characters took drugs. The fast-moving images detailing the process of taking the drug, it entering your system, and then the effect were really interesting. The attention to detail was great, and using different visuals for different drugs made it clear to the audience what was being used and what was going on.

The final aspect I want to touch on is the acting. The entire main cast was awesome. Ellen Burstyn put on a clinic as Sara Golfarb. Her role doesn’t involve as many high-stakes moments as the rest of the cast, but I thought she did a great job portraying the character. The emotions she shows are very powerful, and she has a great monologue in the movie that sums up her entire character and how she got into the situation she’s in.

Jared Leto is very good as Harry Goldfarb, again portraying the emotions of the character really well. His demeanour and mannerisms bring the character to life, and I really enjoyed it. Harry goes through a range of scenarios, and Leto does a great job handling them all. Whether he’s going to see his mother, selling drugs, or trying to dream about life with Marion, all of his behaviours feel natural, albeit slightly odd.

Marion goes through a major emotional spike a couple of times in this movie, and Jennifer Connelly was really good in those situations. I thought her performance was quite good throughout the movie, even if her role is not as large as Harry’s. I had only seen Marlon Wayans in a few things, mainly comedic stuff, so to see him in such a serious role was great. He played Tyrone perfectly, meshing his carefree demeanour into the crazy rush that his Requiem for a Dream.

This is one of the better movies on the Top 100 list so far, and definitely one I would recommend checking out. It does discuss mature content, and the on-screen stuff is not for children, but it’s an emotional, powerful movie that will have your eyes glued to the screen. The feeling of helplessness as the characters’ lives crumble around them is represented beautifully on screen, and the acting is really, really good.