Visually stunning and highly provocative (an interpretation of the film)

Rating: Null/10 (5 April 2004)

[Tiny spoilers; won´t ruin the film]
One thing has to be said about the film-making of Aronofsky; he is constantly in pursuit of fulfilling his own dreams when it comes to the cinematographic issues of this film. Requiem is so unlike any of its predecessors in drug films. He has twisted the issues of the ideal drug film and has put together a highly provocative film that shatters the idea of the American Dream; hence the title of the film. So don´t have the idea that this film solely pictures the outcasts of the American society, namely the drug addicts, because it tries to picture addiction as a phenomenom in any way that it can be defined. I think this personel quote of Aronofsky sums up the key issues of this film well: - "I try to live my life where I end up at a point where I have no regrets. So I try to choose the road that I have the most passion on because then you can never really blame yourself for making the wrong choices. You can always say you're following your passion."
Although each protagonist in this film experience the Fall of mankind (as experienced by Adam & Eve) as a result of their individual fatal indulgences, the paths taken by the protagonists are in relation to their uncontrollable passions which render the lives of the protagonists non-regrettable. As Aronofsky puts it; if you choose the path with the most passion, then you can never blame yourself because every other possible path would have yielded less passion. This key element in the film is shown at the end, where each person have completed the Fall and is in a state of sin but still has a smile on their face. And the corporeal changes of the protagonists are similar to the ones seen in the Passion of Jesus. Here are the similarities: 1) In the film, Sarah's hair and face is ruined which is similar to the fact that Jesus wears a crown of thorns. 2) Tyrone ends up in jail which is a loss of liberty similar to Jesus who was crucified. 3) Harry's arm is amputated. The big inflammation was caused by needles in the same way that Jesus was nailed to the cross. 4) Marion disgraced her body because she succumbed to her drug abuse and had to sell her body for drugs. This humiliation is similar to that fact that Jesus was cruficied on a hill so everyone could see him in the most humiliating position.
Maybe I have overinterpreted the film but the similarities are striking. And Aronofsky grew up in Brooklyn, NY (the film takes place here) so he knows of this urban alienation that threatens to overthrow everyone who gives in to their passions and follows the passionate path that is attractive, yet deceitful. And Aronofsky gives us the proof through Sarah Goldfarb: "Every nobody dreams of being a somebody, not just anybody."