Reviews for the movie "Requiem for a Dream" are very, very diverse. Therefore, before going directly to them, let's discuss the film itself. Everything is interesting in it: description, plot, actors and even music. So let's get started. Let's start with the plot of the film, because it is so interesting.
What is the movie about?
The tape begins the scene on the outskirts of the city. There is an abandoned marina with a wonderful view of the new buildings. Three friends have fun on this very marina, as they can: jump from the embankment into the water, frolic. The first few minutes are riddled with happiness and carefree, and this is understandable, because on this summer day they still do not know what will happen next.
From the next minutes, as evidenced by the reviews of the film “Requiem for a Dream,” something not quite pleasant begins to happen. And the thing is this: these three friends get addicted to drugs. They try everything - powder, smoking mixes, injections. From this moment, obsessive images appear throughout the film. Once carefree and happy guys begin to degrade with terrible speed. The camera swirls neurotenically throughout the tape, and epileptic editing is a traditional technique for addict films.
In reviews of the movie Requiem for a Dream, people admire the skillful parallel story. It is the story of the mother of one of the heroes that tells the viewer that in the lives of these guys everything is a foregone conclusion. Actually, thanks to the actress who played the mother, the depressive heroin film was filled with such strong emotions and feelings. By the way, the reviews about the film “Requiem for a Dream” in the moments concerning the mother of the hero are always positive.
What is so in her role? In the story, Sarah (the same mother) receives a call from her favorite television program. On the phone she is told that she has been selected from thousands of other applicants to participate in the new season. Sara wants to tell the whole country that her son is better than she is, she wants to give her speech in her favorite red dress, which, alas, is already small. A woman begins to use diet pills like those that are constantly advertised on TV by the stars. This is where the trouble lies: the pill contains amphetamine, which causes drug addiction. Sarah slowly but surely goes crazy and ends up in the solitary ward of the asylum.
The scenes of insanity in the movie “Requiem for a Dream” cause even the most nervous trembling among the most impressionable spectators: there is a moment in the film when a refrigerator runs behind a woman distraught with amphetamine and malnutrition, who tries to bite her mouth with a mouth instead of a freezer.
The picture is primarily a drama about unfulfilled maternal dreams and a world full of drugs and other nastiness. It doesn't matter if a person is rich or poor, good or bad, everyone has their own dreams.
Creators
The film “Requiem for a Dream” was shot by Darren Arofonsky. This man became not only a film director, but also a screenwriter. By the way, the film is not a figment of the imagination of the director. It is based on the novel by Hubert Selby Jr., which bears the same name.
Darren has his own interpretation of the film, which is largely at variance with how viewers see the tape. Arofonsky once gave an interview on this subject, in which he said that he did not want to make a film only about drugs. The idea of ​​the tape was to show viewers how any addiction has a detrimental effect on life. The director wanted to convey to people that addiction is not limited to drugs, alcohol and smoking. A person can depend on everything: a TV, coffee, and even on his own fantasies.
Arofonsky did not want to show the story of one person, but the life of several heroes with different dreams, but almost the same result. it was this moment that became the most difficult to implement. Glavrezh needed to plot so that the film looked in one breath and he did it.
Hip-hop editing technology was used, which made it possible to mount the film on the principle of a music video.
Darren shared in this interview not only the secrets of editing, but also the nuances of musical accompaniment. So, the music for the film “Requiem for a Dream” was made by Brian Emirik. The sound engineer for a long time picked up unusual sounds that could emphasize the picture itself. After the installation, Arofonsky was satisfied with the effect, but still decided to look for something else that adds to the picture of tension. That was the buzz of the plane that Darren had remembered since childhood.
There are a lot of such finds in the tape, maybe it was thanks to them that the film became exactly what the drama should be. But critics had a different opinion, so there were a lot of unflattering reviews about the film. Some connoisseurs called the tape emoticon, which greatly angered Darren.
Music
Music from the movie “Requiem for a Dream” deserves a separate description. The soundtrack in this tape has become more popular than the film itself and this is completely justified. The song itself was written by composer Clint Mansell, but for some reason authorship is attributed to Mozart.
It is not so important who wrote this track, it is much more important that they began to use it not only in the film, but also in various video games, television programs, and advertising.
He performed the composition of the string quartet "Kronos-quartet", produced the performance of Judith Sherman. The rest of the soundtrack for the film "Requiem for a Dream" was produced by Mansell. The arrangement for the string quartet was done by David Lang (Pulitzer Prize winner).
The tracks Bugs Got a Devilish Grin Conga and Bialy & Lox Conga were written by Theodore Birkey and Brian Emrich. Performed these tracks by The Moonrats.
It is noteworthy that Requiem for a Dream is considered the best soundtrack for the film "Requiem for a Dream." By the way, in one of the interviews, the director said that it was this melody that inspired him during the installation. The film shows three times: autumn, summer and winter. The composition is divided approximately the same. It is also interesting that stringed instruments are usually used in order to transfer heat and softness, but not in this tape. As conceived by the composer and director, stringed instruments should give cold sounds and immerse the audience in discomfort, which, in fairness, should be noted, and managed to be carried out with brilliance.
There are a lot of films similar to “Requiem for a Dream”, but so that the audience is so hooked on the musical accompaniment - a few. The music for the film has become cult, it is used in the media, interest in it has not subsided until now.
Of course, films similar to “Requiem for a Dream” were, are and will be, but it is unlikely that there will be such a successful cast somewhere else.
Jared Leto
The film has become so popular thanks in large part to the actors. The actors of the film “Requiem for a Dream” (2000) made the picture extraordinary, and some of them even received prestigious awards for the game. We learn more about each, and let's start with Jared Leto.
To get the role of Harry Goldfarb, Summer not only lost thirteen kilograms, but also began to communicate with drug addicts from Brooklyn. The actors of the film “Requiem for a Dream” of 2000 began to be recognized. Although after the tape, Jared did not wake up famous, but the film, of course, influenced the career of a young actor.
Summer got the role of a pensive light guy who lives only here and now and wants empty and short-term pleasures. It is worth noting that Jared did a great job with her, although he himself said in many interviews that these features are not in his character.
By the way, the role in the film “Dallas Buyers Club” brought the actor real popularity. His partner on the site was the famous Matthew McConaughey. For his role in this film, Summer received an Oscar, the Screen Actors Guild Award, and the Golden Globe.
Of his last works - “Suicide Squad” and “Blade Runner 2049”. In addition, Jared is also a musician, he successfully soloists in the rock band 30 Seconds to Mars.
Ellen Burstin
It was this woman who got the role of Sarah Goldfarb. Ellen approached the role very responsibly and tried her best to get used to the image. So, for a long time she wore twenty-kilogram suits for several hours a day. The reception helped the actress naturally feel in the frame, despite the fact that Ellen herself was much smaller.
It was Burstin who won the Academy Award for Best Actress. The woman was popular in the seventies and maybe that's why she played so well. The fact is that the old acting school taught to play outside, that is, the actor had to convey all his feelings to the viewer.
By the way, and at a later time, the actress received prizes. So, in 2009, she received an Emmy for her role in the popular series Law and Order. Special Corps. ” Ellen works and now, for example, in 2018 she starred in the films “Nostalgia” and “The Story”.
Jennifer connelly
We have already mentioned the song from the movie “Requiem for a Dream”, now about the actors. Jennifer played the role of Marion Silver. Critics have called her the personification of the beauty of the film. After the tape was released, many publications called Connelly one of the most beautiful women in the world. We can say that for this actress, the film also became landmark, although it did not bring her an Oscar.
After filming the career, Jennifer quickly went up - a year after the release of Requiem for a Dream, she played the wife of an extraordinary mathematician in the Games of the Mind, after which she received the coveted Oscar.
The titled actress married, but not for anyone, but for the partner on the set - Paul Bettany.
They know Jennifer from the films “Blood Diamond”, “The Hulk”, “To promise is not to marry.” At the end of 2018, a movie with the participation of the actress Alita: Battle Angel was released.
Marlon Wayans
We already talked about the author of the music of the film “Requiem for a Dream”, but we did not make out the cast to the end. This is what we will do and move on to Marlon Wayans. The actor plays comedic roles all his life, but in “Requiem” he starred for the first time as a dramatic character. More Marlon did not want to move away from the image loved by the audience.
He continues to play in comedies, and in 2016 he also became a screenwriter for the film Fifty Shades of Black. The tape is a parody of the cult film “Fifty Shades of Gray,” starring Dakota Johnson.
By the way, if you still can’t remember the actor, then recall that he starred in such comedies as “Cobra Throw”, “Very Scary Movie”, “House with Paranormal Phenomena”, “Without Feelings”.
Christopher MacDonald
Disputes over the fact that he is the author of the music for the film “Requiem for a Dream” by Mozart and no one else have long ceased. Nevertheless, this is not the only reason for discussion. Sometimes, some supporting actors are so open in the film that they cause sincere admiration for the director. So it was with Christopher MacDonald. He played, or rather, improvised, the role of the presenter of the television show Teppy Tibbons. Surprisingly, shooting all the scenes of a television show was shot in just a day, which once again proves Christopher's professionalism.
The fame came to the actor after such films as “Flabber” and “Lucky Gilmore”. After working with Darren, the actor appeared in several parts of American Pie and Spy Kids. In 2012, the last two films with the participation of Christopher came out - “Collector 2” and “Lemonade Mouth”. Since then, MacDonald stopped acting, deciding to devote himself to family and children.
Darren Aronofsky
Yes, you heard right, the director played a cameo role in his film.
The full movie "Requiem for a Dream" is replete with scenes in various entertainment venues, and Darren did not fail to take advantage of this.
The director still works, but his most successful film is not “Requiem for a Dream", but "Wrestler" with Mickey Rourke in the title role. She brought Darren the Golden Lion. Aranofsky also has the most profitable picture, it was "The Black Swan" - the story of a crazy ballerina, with Natalie Portman in the title role.
Interesting Facts
Probably everyone saw the trailer for the Russian film “Requiem for a Dream”, even if the movie itself could not be watched. But if you still decide to watch the film, then you should know about some interesting points.
There is a scene in the film where a girl is under water in the bathroom and screams. Many viewers still argue about the originality of the moment. In fact, Aronofsky borrowed a scene from the Japanese cartoon "True Sadness." He even had to redeem the rights to the entire cartoon just so that he could use this scene in the film.
To achieve the reliability of an irresistible desire, the director demanded that Marlon Ufyans and Jared Leto exclude sugar from food and sex for a month. This was necessary in order for the actors to feel what an irresistible desire is.
When Ellen Burstyn performed a monologue on how it feels to feel like an old woman, Matthew Libatic (cameraman) accidentally took the camera away from the actress. The director, when he saw this, became furious, but later realized why he did so. The fact is that the game Ellen was so moved and impressed by Matthew that he burst into tears during the shooting. Tears fell on the lens of the equipment, so the operator decided not to wait for the anger of Aronofsky, but simply to merge the take. As a result, it all ended well: Darren included the frames with the dedicated camera in the film.
Any description of the movie “Requiem for a Dream” says that Jared Leto lost 13 pounds for the sake of his role, and this is true. And he did this in order to understand the state and character of the character.
The film contains a large number of hallucinations of different characters. One of them belongs to Harry - there he collapses from a very high height. How was it filmed? the crew thought of hanging the camera on a bungee. Prior to this, such a trick was not used, and all operators waited with a bated breath, the device would hit the ground or not. Fortunately, everything worked out - not a single camera was injured during the shooting.
Reviews of the film “Requiem for a Dream” (2000) for the most part relate to the musical accompaniment of the picture is no coincidence, because the soundtrack is truly ingenious. As soon as the film begins, the viewer hears how the quartet prepares to play the main melody of the film. But right before the credits, many hear the voice of the conductor, who gives the command to begin the introduction.
At the end of the film, the main characters have something in their mouths. At Merrion, this is a cash check from one of the party participants, Harry is wearing an oxygen mask, Sarah squeezes a rubber stick during an electric shock. Only Tyler does not hold anything in his mouth, because his stomach spasms.
It is noteworthy that the film does not say which drug the heroes use. Viewers can only guess what they do with rapture. There were people who compared the effects with narcotic substances and decided that it was heroin. It is possible that the director did not plan to show the effect of any one drug. It is possible that this was a collective image of all kinds of stupid people poisoning people to show the harm and dependence of people on it. Such an explanation justifies the expansion of the pupil, which does not fit anywhere.
Russian film "Requiem for a Dream" was perceived ambiguously. Someone liked it, someone didn’t, but many viewers unanimously noted that the scene with the truck full of oranges reminds me of something. This is actually a reference to The Godfather. In the cult film, oranges are the warning of tragedy.
In addition to the fact that Darren himself starred in the episodic scene, he also attracted his father to the film. The latter can be seen in the scene with the subway, where a man tells Harold's mother that she is too exhausted.
What did the author want to convey?
We told almost everything about the famous film, but some still do not understand what the meaning of the film “Requiem for a Dream” is. Aronofsky wanted to raise the following problems in the tape:
- Passivity.
- Fight.
- Escape.
The three seasons in the film show how each time the characters react to life's problems. All four heroes have very modest life baggage and pronounced spirituality, which does not prevent them from dreaming. For example, Tyrone from childhood wanted to have everything. What does this mean for a not-so-smart black boy? Naturally, this is money. Unfortunately, nothing has changed with age.
As for the couple Marion and Harold, they have dreams of their own designer boutique. And all because Marion likes to model clothes, and Harold likes Marion.
Harry’s mom rests all her life near the TV, eating chocolate talk shows. It is logical that her dream is to get on such a show and tell the whole world about her own magnificent son.
What does the struggle for a dream mean? Already in the trailer for the film “Requiem for a Dream” you can see how teenagers not only use, but also sell drugs. In fact, this is their way of fighting for the dream, because the implementation of the latter requires a lot of money, and the guys do not know how to make money differently. And everything seems to be fine, except that the guys themselves are addicted to dope. They do not shun anything, they use everything that is at hand at a particular moment. Such a business exists until Tyrone goes to jail. It was then that the guys laid out everything that was earned in order to free a friend. The trouble ended, but another came in its place - the source of the supply of dope is running out.
Marion is also trying to fight for a dream, however, she does not choose the best way. She begins to trade herself. First, a not very pleasant acquaintance is sold, and then it comes to orgies with very dubious characters.
At the same time, Tyrone and Harry are traveling to Miami in order to find a new source of potion. They no longer think about selling goods. Drugs are needed for themselves, because withdrawal is constant, there is no strength to endure it.
But how does Sarah fight? “Requiem for a Dream” is the best film, if only because it shows the problem of dependence from different angles, but back to the pretty pensioner. So, Sarah receives an invitation to a telecast and begins her fight - with excess weight. She has an obsessive dream in which she wears a red dress while participating in the program, but the problem is that it is not enough for her. Why exactly this dress? The deceased husband really loved Sarah in a red dress, and there is no money for another outfit. A pensioner is poor, she watches a talk show on an old TV, which she periodically loses due to the fact that her son constantly drags him out of the house as the only value. Pretty tormented, Sarah turns to a nutritionist. He prescribes a powerful tool for losing weight, although a woman needs to get rid of only eight kilograms.
A pensioner begins to drink them and does not notice how every day more and more depends on blue and pink tablets. As soon as the son comes home with a gift (he earned money from the drug trade), he immediately sees why his mother is so thin and does not feel well. Harry is trying hard to convince his mother to stop taking pills, but at the same time he does not refuse to take drugs.
Passivity is also clearly broadcast throughout the film. If you read the reviews of critics about the film "Requiem for a Dream", then even without looking at it you can understand what passivity means. And first of all, it manifests itself in the fact that Sarah only buys the mortgaged television, not trying to influence her son. Even the seller does not stand up and makes a woman a comment. But Sarah categorically does not want to contact the police, because, according to her, she loves her son. Despite all the words of love, she does not think about why her son does not work and constantly needs money. How passive are teenagers? To some extent, no less than Harry's mother, because they simply spend the money that Marion's parents give them and are not going to learn anything. But none of these characters can be blamed for passivity, when the money runs out, but the withdrawal remains.
The third part of the film symbolizes the most likely flight, and not for a dream, but for the next dose. As soon as the character receives a dose, he runs away from reality. Moreover, in the description of the film and reviews of "Requiem for a Dream" it is rarely possible to see a similar explanation of the plot. Nevertheless, it exists and does not disappear anywhere. The characters in the film decided to use chemical escape. Someone might think that these are only drugs, but no. This includes various antidepressants, alcohol and sweets. Chemical flight will reorient metabolism, and after some time a person can no longer live a day without his dose. On the example of the same Sarah, you can see how sweets are replaced with another addiction, namely diet pills.
But what about in the end?
In the last frames of the tape, we see how each character folds into a ball, and this is no coincidence. Psychologists have long discovered that the posture of the embryo helps people to go into the comfort zone and deal with all stresses. But the heroes no longer smell of comfort, they want to escape from this all. Aronofsky took an excellent reception, but, unfortunately, not everyone understood him.
The director planned that the film would be broadcast in schools around the world. Teenagers should watch and understand how pretty good people cripple the fate of not only themselves but also loved ones. And all this because of drugs and unwillingness to change something.
Catch phrases
The best films are often sorted into quotes and Requiem for a Dream is no exception. Teens took a lot of winged expressions for themselves, less adults, but nevertheless the film is recognizable by specific phrases. So, what are the quotes from the movie “Requiem for a Dream”?
- Is your weight good? “With weight, yes, but with me, no.”
- Dreams are different. And the ways of their implementation, too. Having chosen the wrong path, you can say goodbye to a dream without touching it.
- With you, the world becomes tolerant.
And this is far from all that the audience dismantled. Some quotes prove how acute the problem of addiction is in modern society.
Awards and prizes
“Requiem for a Dream” was conceived as a very deep film. But unfortunately, critics did not really appreciate the tape, so the picture received few awards. By the way, the film gained the majority of regalia thanks to Ellen Burstin. She was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actress and a Golden Globe (also for Best Actress in a Drama). As the best actress, Ellen received the Saturn Award. In addition, the film itself was also awarded this award, but already as the best horror film.
Of course, the picture is underestimated, but, on the other hand, it is much more important that the audience liked it. After all, ultimately, it is people who decide what to watch and what not to. It’s popular love that shows how successful the film was.
Conclusion
Aronofsky raised as far back as zero such an important problem of society, which not only has not lost its relevance, but has also worsened. Now all the media are trumpeting that drug addiction is the scourge of modern society, and this is indeed so. Maybe Darren was not so wrong and should introduce a film for compulsory viewing of schoolchildren? You see, the children would look at the torment of the heroes, at what the addiction of any kind leads to, and decided to take drugs. This is all, of course, a dream, but everyone can learn their lesson from the film.
Take the same passivity. Will parents allow their child to drive themselves to the grave? Can it really be so anyway in your own child that a person does not even make attempts to talk with his son? A parent should be, if not a friend, then a person you can always count on. Of course, the hero’s mother has many problems of her own, but this is not a reason to abandon her son.
The film teaches not only teenagers, but also their parents a lot, in particular, that you can’t sit back if a loved one is in trouble. Often we are so busy with our problems that we don’t notice anything around. Such is the nature of man, but still you need to make an effort and at least a little emerge of their own problems.
We can say about adolescents that to some extent they lack parental attention and their own intelligence, spirituality. If they were a little more developed, then most likely they would not have become so dependent. If they saw an example of what one can and should strive for, they are unlikely to become drug addicts. There are a lot of different “ifs”, but all of them do not justify any of the characters.
First of all, you should think with your own head, and not only about your own well-being and dreams, but also about the well-being of loved ones. Each person dreams of something, but not everyone is able to choose the right way to achieve a dream, and this is precisely the point in all.