Not a "Drug Movie".

Rating: Null/10 (29 August 2004)

I have to confess that I love this movie. I am biased. Period.
Darren Aronofsky shows a great deal of promise both in "Pi" and in this adaptation of Hubert Selby's novel "Requiem for a Dream." This dynamic duo have definitely created a remarkable film -- complete with an engaging story that is at once familiar to the point of being cliché . . . and far-fetched in the extremity of its conclusion -- and the cast (specifically Ellen Burstyn) truly bring the film to life. The musical score neatly wraps up the film in a way that few others have.
But let the viewer beware: THIS IS NOT A "DRUG MOVIE". Look at the title: to what "Dream" does it refer? Selby has compared his novel to Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby," and, while presumptuous, this remark lends a great deal of insight to anyone who wants to understand what's really going on in the story. The death of the American Dream -- the sham that is our great nation's optimism -- is the true focus of the novel and the film. That Selby and Aronofsky speak in terms of heroin, uppers, Coney Island sunbathers, and infomercials should not obscure the nature of the film as a critique of American society's beliefs and mannerisms.
Perhaps this misconception points to a flaw in the storytelling. At very least it shows the destructive effect marketing can have on a potentially outstanding film. I don't claim that the film is perfect, by any means. But to look at it as an anti-drug tirade or an overly trendy melodrama is to miss a key element of its beauty and significance.