Incredible

Rating: 10/10 (26 October 2006)

Requiem for a Dream is not a merely a film but a jagged, unrelenting decent into the desperate world of addiction. Shrouded by denial and a longing for fulfillment, the characters in this story feed their vices and insecurities until they are consumed by them. Aronofsky fuses his creative genius (i.e. "Hip-hop montages") with Selbey's macabre and emotionally ravaging writing to produce a work of art that brands itself to the minds of its viewers. Augmented with a stunning soundtrack this is the complete package. Inducing empathy and sympathy for people you would usually scorn, this is a shining example of the modern anti-hero. Though at times the imagery is gruesome, this only amplifies the pervasive motif of desperation. In my opinion, it should be required viewing for all high school drug prevention programs.