"American Beauty" rated NC-17. Deeply disturbing but truly a masterpiece.

Rating: 10/10 (2 June 2003)

There are films that made history. Films like "Nosferatu", "Psycho", "A Clockwork Orange", "The Exorcist", "Platoon" and "Pulp Fiction". Films that will be remembered in 20 or 30 years. And "Requiem for a Dream" is one of them.
Shocking? Yes. Dark? Yes. Risky? Yes. "Requiem..." is all that and more. It has an almost perfect direction and outstanding performances. All the actors were pushed to their limits, doing their very best. And Ellen Burnstyn, shows that she was cheated-out in almost every acting award in 2000.
This film is "A Clockwork Orange" for our generation. It shows things that hardly anyone had the guts to show before (in so crude way, anyway). And just like the author of "A Clockwork..." could be seen as a genius after "A Clockwork...","Requiem..." talks more about Darren Aronofsky, than drug itself. It talks about a risky and creative director(probably the best of his generation), who could break cinema rules, and expand them in the future.
Why did the Academy praise "A Clockwork Orange", and almost ignore "Requiem...", if they are both very controversial? Well, "A Clockwork..." is set in a distant future, in England. And "Requiem.." is set in the US, right here and right now. It shatters the American Dream. But unlike "American Beauty" there's no hope for ANYONE here. Although I think that the VERY LAST SCENE in "Requiem...", it's a little tiny spark of HOPE.And as violence, HOPE is part of our human nature too.
Enjoy (or Be shocked by) this instant classic.