Anything but a "dream"

Rating: 10/10 (21 November 2000)

Beautiful and disturbing. Mesmorizing and horrifying. Vibrant and dark. Yes, these words all describe "Requiem for a dream." Don't let the title throw you off for a minute, this film is anything but a "dream." It is a nightmare that takes you to the depths of mortal hell. However, don't let my choice of words throw you off either, this film will remain a masterpiece forever. Darren Aronofsky has done it again. His follow up to the psychological thriller, "Pi," and though a difficult feat, he has made an even more superior film, brilliant in every aspect. I'm sure you have read other reviews and heard people talking about the story of the film, I will not go into that. The story has been done before, drug addicts spiraling out of control to their eventual demise. The film's brilliance, however, does not lie within the story, but within the way it's told. The cinematography helps the film, and though gruesome in points, you cannot take your eyes off of the screen. The spiraling overhead shots, the dark lighting, the simple but intriguing sets. The excellent, fast-paced editing makes you not even want to blink, knowing that you will miss something (If this film does not win Best Editing, it should be considered a crime). From the beginning, watching the simple characters' lives slowly fall apart until the shocking and non-stop beautifully disturbing climax, you cannot take your eyes off of "Requiem for a Dream." Whether that's a good thing, I'm still not sure. I regret seeing the film, but I'm so happy I did at the same time. It's those mixed feelings that make this film such a masterpiece. I've read so many reviews about this film, talking about how everybody is dead silent at the end, still too shocked to speak a word. Well, I heard one utterance while walking out of the dark theatre: "Oh my God." That about summed it up for me, too.