Requiem for a Dream

Requiem for a Dream – a movie about drugs, a movie about teens, a movie which is sure to leave you rattled for a long time, a movie which can leave you damaged even on first viewing… It is not, however, a don’t do drugs movie. It tells us… a story. A story of how drug addiction can leave people totally delirious and damaged, a story of how dreams turn into dust.

Requiem for a dream revolves around four people. Adapting the theme from his own novel, Hubert Selby Jr. tells us the story of four lost souls. A tale of four trapped entities trying to climb out of the hole they have been thrown in. The hope of happiness in form of some material possession, an interaction with the inner self, the downfall of the castles and breaking of the shackles woven by drugs around them – and their failure to do so.

Harry Goldfarb (Jared Leto) and his friend Tyrone (Marlon Wayans) are junkies. Pushers. Like every other teenager, they have a dream to make it big. And how are they going to do it? Selling drugs they get off the streets of Brooklyn. Buy – Test – Sell, Buy – Test – Sell. Then go and buy the real stuff. Test and sell again – a never ending loop, the pi of their life. Marion (Jennifer Connelly), Harry’s girlfriend is hot. At least initially she is. When Harry and Marion interact – it looks like the read deal. You get the feeling that they’re really in love. Their on-screen chemistry is great. Marion does not want to make it large like Harry. All she wants is her life, planned and laid out in front of her. Marriage, her own dress designing avenue, stability… Marion wants to escape from the her parents and live an independent life. She’s playing a losing battle and Harry is her only hope.

The fourth character in the movie, Sara Goldfarb (Ellen Burstyn), Harry’s mother. Harry is one of the two things she has left in this world. The other thing – TV. A real nice mother and a typical old gossip loving lady turns into a weight loss freak as soon as she learns she has a chance to appear in a TV show. trans Requiem for a Dream She visits some doctor to try and reduce her weight before the show to be able to fit in the red dress which reminds her of her dead husband.

From here on, the movie is a sad tale of these four people. Their desperations, the dark emotions, the love, the passion. It’s all there. The movie is cold and it’s harsh. Unless you are really made of stone, this movie is going to have a long lasting effect on you… maybe forever.

Speaking about the background score, it is one of the best suited soundtracks I have ever heard. It blends into the movie and unites all the different facets of the story as a whole. Remove the music and – well, there is no and. You simply cannot remove it.

Coming to the end, there is only one thing which I would like to point out. The movie IS disturbing it is cold and it is intense. It might give you nightmares even if you are not a 10 year old (and the fact that a 10 year old should never watch this movie). Near the end of the movie, it gets even more intense and involves scenes which are not for the feint of heart. And my personal favorite is the ending scene of the movie. It is intense, it is good and sad at the same time…

Overall Rating: 4.5/5

Aditya Shevade

Aditya I am, a Linux fanatic, a nature photographer, a music fiend… I spend most of my time these days listening to Music while browsing the Internet about various topics of my interest ranging from Electronics to coffee recipes. Learn more about me here.