Special effects in Requiem for a Dream

Rating: 9/10 (2 June 2010)

Requiem for a Dream: A harrowing look at the perils of addiction "Requiem for a Dream" is a Darren Aronofsky production. It was released in the year 2000 and has received numerous prizes and good reviews. We will mainly focus on how the special effects add to the story of this movie.
"Requiem for a Dream" is as powerful and intense as film-making gets, hence, it is a rather drowsy title for such an explosive film. "Screwing Up" or "Deterioration of your Happy Life", as each character in the movie is shown in a state of both mental as physical degradation, would be more on track. The special effects only add to the explosiveness and the eruption of misery and despair that gets thrown at you throughout the movie. All the lighting, the editing, the cinematography and the special effects; everything serves the dramatic progression of the story and makes the story all the more gripping and convincing. The story starts off slowly, but surely rockets into a whirlwind of utter misery. One scene of sadness stacks upon another in no-time, making it all very heavy to endure. You truly feel compassion for these four individuals, even though you know they are not real. We surely know we had to pick a tear from the corners of our eyes. We personally think that this is because this is how it happens in real life. Essentially, "Requiem for a Dream" is very realistic. Drug usage starts off with 'innocent' usage, for fun. The four characters live in Brooklyn, I mean, who doesn't do drugs there every so often? But soon before long, the drug use starts to become a normal part of their week, or even day. That is when they can't function without their fix and their lives just plummet from happy lives with a little drugs every so often into a complete nightmare.
Aronofsky used every trick in the book, from split screen to sped up showing of short clips and images, manic editing, point-of-view shots, slow motion and various other special effects. The 'sped up showing of short clips and images', or, as we like to call it, 'quick transition' of images, shown when either of the four main characters are consuming drugs, is like a drug in itself. It portraits the feeling of being high, as life passes in flashes when you are high (not speaking from personal experience), everything is distorted. Showing what the characters feel like in a 'distorted' manner gives extra depth to the way they feel and makes their drug-trip even more convincing. The 'quick transition' technique is shown over and over throughout the movie to show how the people in the movie can't help doing the same gestures again and again. As we mentioned before, the 'quick transition' technique is like a drug in itself. In a strange way, it is very addictive, you want to see the next after you saw one. It is like a fix when you watch it. You crave for the next. When the characters get their fix, you get yours.
A mixture of superb sound in combination with skillful editing and strong acting makes the story ever more gripping. The scene in which Harry Goldfarb's mother, Sara Goldfarb is so high on her 'diet pills' that she starts cleaning the entire house for hours and hours because she has so much energy, with the beautiful music on the background, composed by Clint Mansell and performed by the Kronos Quartet, truly touched our hearts. The scene is sped up, this enables the viewer to see how much Sara is influenced by the drugs and how incredibly sad she really is, all this in a short amount of time. This is called fast-motion. All the sadness and realization of how much power the drugs have on Sara gets thrown toward you, all very fast. The heavy, compelling music strengthens the feeling of sadness and compassion for Sara. She truly is a slave of the drug which was prescribed to her by her doctor.
Additionally, throughout the movie characters hallucinate, a.k.a. perceive the absence of stimuli, regularly. This side-effect of taking drugs like heroin is wondrously portrayed in the scene in which Harry hallucinates about Marion. Harry is in his room, just used drugs, and finds himself seeing Marion through the window. She is standing at the end of a dock. He runs towards her and when she turns around Harry ceases to hallucinate. Aronofsky magnificently used a number of special effects to strengthen the image of hallucination. One of which we like to refer to as 'sudden disappearance of objects'. First, the window disappears. Secondly, the bed disappears. Finally, the whole room disappears. This gradual process is also a special effect. It is integrated into this scene to express unclarity and slowness, both associated with hallucinating. These were merely a few of many tiny effects integrated into the movie. The effects are either new, or they are improved effects of existing movies. Either way, they fit the movie exceptionally well.
All in all, Requiem for a Dream is definitely a flagship title concerning special effects, as the movie is tremendously profound in this. The way in which the movie implicates its audience is truly splendid, as it does not allow you to be a passive viewer. The tragic character development triggers heavy emotional response from the viewer. The director really wants you to feel, to experience, to emotionally sense the characters on the screen. Tragic, though marvelous.