An incredibly visceral piece of work by a visionary filmmaker.

Rating: Null/10 (13 February 2002)

Over the years I have had the pleasure of watching a handful of great films which confront the viewer with brutal human drama, eliminating all the fluff and Hollywood glitz that satisfy the seething masses who crave another "hilarious" Tim Allen movie or a tear-jerking cuddly love story. Requiem for a Dream is the latest movie I can safely add to my list of incredible, glitz-free masterpieces alongside such films as Happiness, Buffalo 66, CUBE, and others.
Darren Aronofsky has shaped this story into a feverish onslaught of reality, depicting a group of people whose greed and desperation simultaneously drove all of them to their own hellish demise in all but the mortal sense. The depiction of addiction in this movie is absolutely breathtaking, especially in the mind-blowing performance by Ellen Burstyn. Her transformation from a stereotypical Jewish mother into a drug-addled walking corpse is outstanding, both due to her acting and the excellent make-up effects. Staring at her strapped to the gurney I was convinced I was looking at a person completely devoid of life or sanity.
Cinematically, Requiem bombards the viewer with a unique style that blends incredibly well with Clint Mansell's excellent score. As fabulous as the visuals are in this movie, one of its only flaws is that some of the camera tricks were plucked straight out of Pi. In particular, the shots where Marlon Wayans is running through the alley, and where Jennifer Connelly is exiting the building to vomit use the same technique employed in Pi to give the sense of the character being severely detached from their surroundings. It's a very effective trick, but watching it used in Requiem made me think too much of Pi's cinematography (maybe not such a bad thing considering the two movies share the same director and DP).
Requiem delivers a vivid message about addiction through a stellar cast, driving music, and innovative visual style. Possibly one of the greatest films of all time, definitely one of the most effective anti-drug movies. Seeing Requiem for a Dream could change your life, change your habits, change your point of view, or even just change your opinion of Jared Leto. Regardless, anyone not expecting to see another Wedding Singer should walk away from Requiem changed somehow.
And that's a good thing.